Bonnie and Damon
by TheAlexis
Summary: An unforeseen kiss started it all. No one expected Bonnie and Damon to get together. No one expected Bonnie and Damon to work. And no one ever expected Bonnie and Damon to fall in love. Set after 3x09.
1. Chapter 1: A Not So Perfect Beginning

**A/N: I'm so psyched to post this story. This is my very first TVD fanfic. So review if you love Bamon! It'll only take you thirty seconds to review, anyways. Sorry if there are any mistakes in there but just know that I do not have a beta reader.**

**Warning: Story doesn't fit into the storyline of S3.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. All rights go to the CW and LJ Smith.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: A Not-So Perfect Beginning<p>

"_We didn't have the perfect beginning to our love story. It was quite _imperfect. _But imperfections are beautiful."_

–_Violet McSue_

* * *

><p>At first, it's awkward. Uncomfortable. You can cut the tension in the room with a knife. She's staring at him. He knows it. She doesn't know he knows it. Damon glances over at her, who quickly snaps her gaze away. Then, it's as if they've switched places. He's staring at her. She knows it. He doesn't know she knows it. Confusing? <em>You know it. <em>

Minutes and minutes of silence pass by. It feels like it's the longest amount of time where no one has spoken. Bonnie heaves a sigh. Damon finishes off his fifth glass of bourbon. How much alcohol does it take to make a vampire drunk? _A lot? _Even Damon doesn't know the answer to it because by that time, he's too hammered every time to count back. Plus, math has never been one of his strengths. _Duh. _He's not his brother, St. Stefan. Damon and Bonnie can hardly ever have a civil conversation without bringing up the words 'Klaus', 'originals', and 'Elena'. It doesn't even make any sense.

Finally, Bonnie takes a glimpse at her cell phone to see what time it is.

"Saw that, Judgey," Damon says monotonously with very little interest. It's the first time anybody's spoken in approximately half an hour.

"Saw what?" she asks, perplexed.

"You know. You were checking the time," he explains, still too vague for Bonnie to comprehend what was so wrong about her recent action.

"Because checking the time is against the law…" Bonnie mumbles, dripping vocal icicles. Which, Damon clearly doesn't appreciate. Being sarcastic is his thing. Without sarcasm, what is Damon Salvatore? _An 'eternal stud'? _Bonnie wonders in her mind, about to scoff when she realizes the eternal stud's still in the room.

"Well, I'm not having the time of my life either but you don't see me looking at the clock, making it obvious that I don't want you here," Damon mutters back, lifting himself up and walking over to the minibar to fix himself yet another drink.

"Whatever," Bonnie replies quickly, not bothering to come up with a snarky comeback to throw back at him. She is looking down at her Converse sneakers and fidgeting with her fingers, debating with herself whether or not to tell Damon the truth.

"You okay?" he questions after a moment or two. Damon knits his eyebrows together, waiting for her response. Bonnie shifts uncomfortably in her seat, in a poor attempt to pretend like she didn't hear his I-Don't-Really-Care-But-I'll-Ask-In-The-Sake-Of-Trying-To-Be-Nice question. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"_You okay_?" he repeats, not bothering to hide his impatience. She lifts a shoulder. "You look a little…bleh. What happened?" Bonnie rolls her mossy green eyes at his blunt language.

_~Flashback~_

_Bonnie was getting ready to meet Elena at the Salvatore boarding house to head to the mall with her. She was already dressed in light-washed skinny jeans and a floral-print peasant blouse. (Caroline and Elena weren't kidding when they said Bonnie always wore earth tones!) It was right then. She was in the middle of straightening her hair when she saw someone in the reflection of the mirror. _

_She dropped her flat-iron on the surface of her vanity. _

_"Klaus," she finally managed to choke out. _

_He was supposed to be gone. They had taken his family and it had led Klaus to a point where he couldn't handle it, _**tolerate**_ it anymore. They had chased him right to his own breaking point and he had left Mystic Falls. No one had the slightest clue where he went. But why was he back and standing behind Bonnie? _

_A smirk curved up on his red lips that looked permanently stained from all the blood he had drank throughout the years. Bonnie, her body shaking, turned around. _

_He bared his razor-sharp, canine teeth at her as the veins around his now-red eyes darkened. Klaus darted over to her and pinned her to the ground and she screamed for help. Bonnie was powerless. Her aneurysms didn't have an effect on him. Neither did her powers. She was as weak as a regular human now. She struggled to get out of his hold but her strength was nothing compared to his. _

_Failing her last attempt at using her magic, she gave up and waited for him to drill his fangs into the side of her neck viciously. But that moment never came. She opened her eyes to see what was going on. No one was there._

_Klaus was gone. Was it all just her imagination playing little tricks on her? Emily coming back to tell her something? How did he get in without being invited? What the _hell_ was going on? _

_~End Flashback~_

"Nothing happened," she insists firmly, trying to keep a steady voice.

"Suit yourself," he replies, taking _yet another _swig of his signature drink, bourbon whiskey.

"Klaus happened," she blurts out without further thinking.

Damon stops in his place, his hand that's clutching the glass freezing in mid-air. It's literally like he's displayed on a television screen and the viewer pressed 'pause'. Bonnie instantly wishes she could go back in time, just a couple seconds, to stop herself from saying those very two words.

"Did you just say…" his unsure voice trails off.

"Yes, Damon. Klaus is back. I-I saw him…he was in my room before I came here. He…he pushed me down and was about to bite me when he disappeared. I don't know what's going on." _But I don't like it_, she wants to add but doesn't because Damon already looks too much in shock.

"He's back?" This doesn't sound like a question as much as it does a statement. Bonnie slowly nods, drawing in a sharp breath. "Ah, shit." Bonnie raises an eyebrow, wondering how that could be reaction out of all the reactions in the world. Then again, he _is _Damon Salvatore. "We took his family! He couldn't handle it! He left **for good. **Why is he back?"

"Do you seriously expect me to know why?" Bonnie asks in disbelief.

Taking a deep yoga breath, Bonnie stands up and crosses over to where the minibar that Damon is leaning against. Thoughts and ideas are swimming through her mind at rapid fire speed. What can they do? How can they fight back? How can they stop Klaus before he stopped them? There are too many questions and so little time. Because if they've learned anything so far, it's that Klaus is always one step ahead…Klaus is unpredictable. Klaus is _fearless. _

"Of course not," he murmurs to himself.

"What's that supposed to mean? What do you see me as?" she inquires through her gritted teeth. She tries to hide the anger and offense in her tone but she fails miserably.

Does Damon have that_** little**_ respect for her? Bonnie thought they called it truce after a while—after her risking it all to save Elena's life and almost dying. After they came up with the plot to trick Klaus into thinking that she _did _die. Where was all that respect now? Did it just fall down the drain?

"Enough with the twenty questions. You're so touchy. What is it, your time of month or something?"

"DAMON!" Bonnie shrieks, as Damon grumbles. After Bonnie recovers from Damon's last comment.

"Okay, okay. I say Vampire Barbie, Stefan, and I compel some people into being bait for Klaus. But we spike their drinks with vervain so that Klaus when he drinks, he'll dot-dot-dot," Damon explains as Bonnie knits her eyebrows together, digesting his plot.

"What about the innocent people Klaus drains?"

"Eh, so I'll give 'em some blood."

"How much have you had to drink, Damon?" Bonnie scowls, slapping her forehead with the palm of her hand. _He is so stupid sometimes, _Bonnie thinks but doesn't dare say it out loud. The last thing she needs is two vampires almost-attacking her in one day. "Klaus is weakened by vervain but he's an **original. **He heals quicker than you. He can…_sense_…when someone has vervain." The way she utters the words is harsh and critical. She doesn't mean to sound like that but it really is all Damon's fault for throwing out all his information about the originals the second Klaus fled town. But that's just the kind of person he is. _Impulsive._

"It's always the negative with you," Damon mumbles below his breath.

"We'll wait for Klaus to come to us. When he does, I'll handle it. Just like I did back at the decade dance," Bonnie replies, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She says those words with more confidence in her voice than she feels on the inside. And that's a lie. She has no confidence inside of her. It all washed out when she saw the reflection of Klaus standing behind her with that malicious, homicidal face of his through her vanity mirror.

"Sure you can handle it, witchy?"

"Wow, careful Damon. I really am starting to think you care," Bonnie chides, unfolding her arms.

"_We wouldn't want that," _he repeats the very words he said to her that night at the '60s decade dance while they were dancing to the cheesy, upbeat music. Bonnie bites her lower lip to stop from smiling. _He remembered._

Standing there, Bonnie can't seem to find the words to thank him for finally finding some sense and agreeing with her. Face it. She's tired. She's in absolutely no position to play morality police with him. Bonnie smiles halfheartedly and that's as close to a thank-you as Damon's gonna get. _Klaus-related drama is just so yesterday._

Bonnie's cell phone vibrates and it turns out to be a text message from Elena.

**ELENA: HEY BON. I NO I'M RUNNING A LITTLE L8. STEFAN & I WERE, UHHH, Y'KNOW…HEHE ;) I'M SOOOO SRY! NEWAYS, I'LL B STEFAN/DAMON'S HOUSE IN 5. LUV YA GIRLY.**

**BONNIE: LUV YA 2, LENA. C U IN 5.**

Tossing her cell back into her purse, Bonnie gathers her hair and pulls it back into a sleek ponytail. She's tightening the hair tie when Damon grabs a hold of her. _What the hell does he think he's doin'?_But before Bonnie can yell at him to get his hands off her, Damon decides to speak up.

"I thought Klaus disappeared before he attacked you," he comments softly, his eyes staring intently at the side of her neck.

"He did," Bonnie clarifies.

"Then how does that explain the bite marks?"

Bonnie's eyes widen and her hand automatically flies up to see what he's talking about. Sure enough, there are two small marks made. No blood. What happened? Did he bite and compel her? Impossible…then again, he got into her house without invitation. _Dad might've invited him before, _Bonnie considers. Did Klaus literally _attack _and _compel_? Isn't that what the old, homicidal Damon would do to half the town of Mystic Falls?

"…Scarf," Damon says after a second or two.

"Huh?"

"I'll go get you a scarf. Elena can't know about Klaus's little visit," he explains further on. Using his vampire-speed (which never fails to impress Bonnie), he returns in a blink of an eye with a floral print scarf that one of his one-night-stands must have left around.

As he delicately drapes it around her neck so that it covers up the marks well without it being a crystal-clear giveaway (like it was with Caroline), his eyes lock gazes with hers. What comes over him, who knows? But before Damon has any idea just what the hell he is doing, his lips are pressed gently up against hers.

The kiss is…new and exciting. Electrifying. Like looking into someone's eyes for the first time on a sparkling night and immediately falling for a second, Damon forgets all about the drama on the outside. _Katherine? I'm sorry. I've never met her in my life. I don't believe I'm familiar with a certain 'Klaus'. Elena who?_To Bonnie's own added surprise, she's not forcing him off. She's kissing back. Her lips are moving in perfect sync with his. The clocks have stopped spinning. Time is frozen, it stands still. Damon and Bonnie are off in their own little world and there's no one else there and no other drama**. **Just them.

When their lips part, they're both left silent. Damn, not the silence again! The doorbell rings and echoes through the walls of the Salvatore mansion. Talk about being saved by the bell.

"That's Elena. Uh, I'll catch you later," Bonnie mutters.

But Damon isn't even listening to her. They're both lost. So very ,very lost.

_Did that just really happen?_


	2. Chapter 2: One Chance

**A/N: OMG! I can't believe I got so many reviews in one chapter! I'm glad you guys liked it. Stick around 'till the end because there's another author's note + disclaimer there. Review if you love Bamon! Here's the second chapter of 'Bonnie and Damon'. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: One Chance<p>

"_One word can set it all in motion, one word in the perfect moment. One chance to take it when it comes. One life is all that we're given; one love can make it worth living. Take a look back before you run…I'm the one." _

_I'm The One by Ke$ha_

* * *

><p>An out-of-breath Bonnie enters Elena's car. It is a true understatement to say that Bonnie has no freaking clue to what just went on back at the Salvatore mansion. Running through her mind are a million questions, a million thoughts. And <strong>zero <strong>answers.

"Hey," Elena greets as Bonnie shuts the car door and plugs in her seatbelt. "I like your scarf." _Since when does Bonnie wear scarves? _

"Thanks." Bonnie turns on the radio. It's an excuse for them to stop talking and for her take a little time to think, because Elena often sings along to the catchy love songs, especially those sung by Adele.

Bonnie's first thought is: _Damon Salvatore is crazy_. But that's not any newnews.

_Why did he kiss me? Was it just a spur-of-the-moment thing? Of course. It had to be. Damon is spontaneous, impulsive. Everyone knows that. He does things without thinking about it before-hand—he probably just got caught up in the moment. We were inches away from each other, I was in sort of a fragile stage…it meant nothing. But…why did I kiss back, instead of pushing him away? Because the second his lips were on mine, I realized how much I liked it. What if Damon liked it too? Why do I wish that he did? _

…_Bad thoughts, go away!_

"Bonnie, are you okay? You look a little pale," Elena notes, knitting her eyebrows together in a peculiar blend of worry, suspicion, and puzzlement. A mix of emotions that Elena is far too acquainted with.

"I'm fine; I just have a sore throat…" Bonnie improvises. When did she start lying to _Elena_? The one person she has told everything to since…well, forever? Bonnie doesn't exactly fancy lying. She never has. But lying to her best friend is a whole different story. It makes Bonnie sick—figuratively. Ignoring the pang of guilt in her stomach, Bonnie forces out a weak smile. "Hence the scarf…"

It's almost amusing to Bonnie how she's not freaking out about the Klaus thing anymore. She's freaking out about how **Damon **kissed **her **and she_**liked **_it—what the hell?

"Well, I have some cough drops in my purse," Elena offers, tossing Bonnie her luxe Michael Kors handbag.

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Elena and Bonnie enter the Mystic Grill with shopping bags from Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Free People, and Buckle with the two of them. No one expects Bonnie to be much of a shopper and she honestly isn't, but Elena and Caroline just seem to bring it out of her. They're supposed to meet Caroline here for one of their infamous sleepover later. The two best friends spot Caroline sitting alone at one of the tables in the back with her eyes glued to the latest issue of Seventeen. Elena and Bonnie join Caroline and they exchange short and casual greetings.<p>

"When do you guys wanna—" Elena's sentence is cut off by a chorus of Shark in the Water by VV Brown. Fishing her cell phone out of her back jeans pocket, Elena notices that the caller ID reads: Stefan. A smile automatically dances its way onto her face. "I'm gonna take this call."

Elena and Stefan have recently gotten back together and it's safe to say that they're in that 'honeymoon' stage where they just can't seem to take their hands off each other. She accepts the call and drifts on over to the other side of the room, grinning like a love-drunk goof, which she seriously is.

"Okay, get this: Marisol, that high-class skank of a cheerleader, called me last night and told me that her boyfriend cheated on her. Which, I must say, serves her right because I remember how she used to flirt with Matt when he and I were going out—" Poor Caroline never gets an opportunity to finish her…_exciting_ story because Bonnie bursts in during the middle of her sentence.

"Damon kissed me." Her words are said quickly and at a mega-whisper volume. Let's face it, Bonnie's confession is 'hotter gossip' than anything you can gather from an entire game of I Never at an alcohol-filled high school party…y'know, the ones Caroline is an expert at throwing. Caroline's mouth falls open and her glimmering azure eyes read: Did I hear that right? Give me the details now!

"Do not be kidding about this or I will be…_mad_ at you!" Caroline replies in a stage-whisper.

"Why would I joke about something like **this**?" Bonnie questions, managing to be as silent as possible. Rewinding her mind to gather the details of everything that's occurred today, Bonnie begins to explain. "I was getting ready to go shopping with Elena. That's when I saw Klaus in my room. He pinned me to the ground but…I don't remember him attacking me. I carried on as usual—I mean, I am so over the Klaus drama. I've had enough of that to last a lifetime. Anyway, I went to Stefan and Damon's place to meet Elena to go shopping. She told me she'd be there. She wasn't. She was off somewhere with Stefan—I swear, they're a perfect match but they have the potential to make me nauseous—so I was waiting for her to come. And with my luck, Damon was there so we were just sitting there in awkward silence. I told him. I told him about what happened with Klaus earlier…we came up with a plan and…Damon realized I had bite marks on my neck. It's like Klaus compelled me or something. I don't even wanna think about it. So, he got me this scarf to cover up. He was putting it on me and…we were really close and…our eyes met…and he sorta just…kissed me." _And it was the best damn kiss of my life. _

It takes a while for Caroline to digest all that information. That **is **a lot to register in one minute. Algebra equations and plots to destroy Klaus haven't taken her so off guard in the past. After a few seconds of sinking the news into her brain, she exclaims,

"Well, y'know what this means, Bon!" It sounds like a million bells ringing through Bonnie's ears and she hates how loud Caroline can be.

"No," she deadbeats. Sometimes Bonnie doesn't understand Caroline and her boy 'logic'…yes, air quotes around the word logic. Caroline sighs heavily and rolls her turquoise eyes sparkling with happiness.

"This meeeeansss that Damoonnn liiiikesss youuuu," she elucidates, over-enunciating the words. It makes Bonnie feel like a kindergartner. She doesn't like it. Before Bonnie knows it, Caroline is dancing around in her seat with her arms swinging freely up in the air and she's singing. "_I kissed a vampire and I liked i-it. The taste of his…uh…la, la, la, la! I kissed a vampire and I liked i-it. Hope Stelena doesn't mind it…!_"

"Care!" Bonnie shrieks, noticing how everyone at the Grill is glancing their direction now. Including Elena, but Elena is far too interested in her flirty conversation with Stefan to ponder on what's going on with her occasionally-weird friends. Bonnie's face has flushed a deep burgundy color, matching Caroline's satin tank top. "I got the point. But let's get this straight…_Damon _kissed _me. _And I did **not **like it."

Bonnie's not a controlling person. She doesn't like to shout or demand. Bonnie Bennett keeps her cool and she's known for that around Mystic Falls. If someone pisses her off, she doesn't give them the satisfaction of knowing that. Hell no.

But in this moment, Caroline is pressing all her buttons and this is a very touchy topic for Bonnie…especially because she liked the kiss. No matter how hard she tries to block the feelings away, there is no denying that there's a part inside of her that wants Damon to find her and grab her by the waist and kiss her. Kiss her _**hard. **_

"Ah, denial…Bonnie, tell yourself whatever lets you sleep at night but you and I both know that Damon Salvatore is gorgeous. He might've manipulated me, abused me, kicked me around, and compelled me in the past but I kicked his ass, so we're even. I gotta say, he's not that bad now. Something about him not draining innocent people kinda has that effect. Anyway, where was I…?" Caroline rambles. _Motor mouth, _Bonnie thinks. This reminds her of the old, pre-vamp Caroline. The one that said, 'oh please, I got all that in between third and fourth period!' Before Bonnie can get a second to recover from everything that's been said by Caroline in the last thirty seconds, Caroline continues to talk again. "Oh! I remember now. You totes wanna kiss him again. You ARE the one who called him a sexy, older danger-guy." _How does she remember the insignificant details? Duhhh…she's Caroline. _

Elena returns and slides back into her seat.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Caroline thinks that the shirt I'm wearing is ugly." Bonnie's eyes are wide with plead, communicating to Caroline how Elena can't know about everything.

"Um…I-I bought that for her," Elena mumbles, glancing down at the table.

"And it's so cute," Caroline automatically states, straightening up her posture.

* * *

><p>Later that night, the three BFFs (like 'rah-rah, go team!') are lying down on their sleeping bags arranged in a messed-up circle in Elena's room. They're dressed down in their sweats and pajamas, debating which celebrity is hotter. For a combination of supernatural creatures, these three aren't so different than your group of best friends…despite the fact that <em>their <em>group features a doppelgänger, a witch, and a vampire. But y'know, same gist.

"Bonnie…who's hotter: Tristan Wilds or Matt Lanter?" Caroline asks, taking a big spoonful out of her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough-flavored Ben & Jerry's ice cream. _The plus side to being a vampire._ Never gaining weight. That just-so happens to be Caroline's favorite part of being a vampire—next to compulsion, advanced hearing, super speed, and super strength.

"Matt Lanter," Bonnie answers with confidence. Caroline shakes her head sideways. She's always had a small celebrity-crush on Tristan Wilds ever since she saw him as the supportive and cute brother on 90210. "Elena, who is hotter: Joe Jonas or Tyler Blackburn?"

"Hmmm…Tyler Blackburn," she replies, blushing. "Caroline, who's hotter: Munro Chambers from Degrassi or Luke Bilyk from Degrassi?"

"Luke, hands down. He looks like Taylor Launter and I will _forever_ have a crush on Taylor Launter," Caroline declares. They all giggle. Bonnie is just laughing because she's so glad Caroline has finally learned to keep her lips sealed.

_When did it turn out like this? _Bonnie wonders. She used to be able to tell Elena everything. But now…Caroline is no longer 'worse than shallow'. Caroline is no longer a kiddie pool; she's compassionate. Maybe Bonnie isn't revealing what happened between her and Damon to Elena because she simply _won't get it. _Ha. Elena used to be the one who _did _get everything and _did _try to understand what Bonnie was going through but now, it's like Elena's position is traded with Caroline's. _So much is changing. Most things for the worse._..

* * *

><p>The sunlight peaks through the window in Elena's bedroom. Caroline's eyes flutter open and she lazily rolls over with the sleeping bag wrapped around her to check what time it is on her mobile phone. 8:42. Caroline hates being the first one up during a sleepover and the last one asleep. She always has and always will dislike waiting for the others to wake up—Caroline often contemplates waking them up by smacking them with a pillow (not using her vampire powers) or splashing her friends with glacial cold water but always decides against it because she doesn't enjoy Elena's surprised scream and Bonnie's death glare that probably <strong>can <strong>kill an immortal like her. But luckily today, Caroline realizes that she's not the first one up when she whips her head over to where Bonnie was sleeping last night and Bonnie isn't there.

With a yawn, she lifts herself up and changes out of her pajamas and into white skinnies, a navy-and-white striped blouse, and studded navy sandals. She finds it better to wear outfits that match or go well with her day-walking ring containing the beautiful lapis lazuli stone. Caroline is in the middle of pulling her bouncy blonde hair into a sleek ponytail when she hears the doorbell ring. Using her supernatural talents, she focuses and tries to listen in.

Bonnie runs her fingers through her tousled curls as she swings the door open. Dammit. There stands Damon, clad in his classic ensemble: black shirt, black pants, black leather jacket, and black boots—his outfit is the only thing that is the least bit predictable about him. She suddenly becomes very aware of how she hasn't bothered to change out of her sweats and varsity tee shirt.

"Damon," Bonnie calls out, raising her eyebrows. Her voice is steady and cool, despite all the nerve-wracking things crossing her mind. _Why is he here? For Elena? For Caroline? For _me_? Why do I care? _

"Bonnie," Damon mimics in the same, uncanny tone as her.

"What are you doing here?" She doesn't mean to bark at him like that. It's plainly out of habit. Instinct, if you will. Because if Bonnie and Damon are known for anything, it has to be their arguments. They have a cool dynamic, and even Bonnie has to give it that.

"I can't pay my favorite little witch a visit?" Damon asks with a glint of fake innocence in his eyes. Bonnie places her hand on her hip. _You may have Elena and the sheriff and everyone else fooled but not me. _"Stefan told me you and Blondie would be over at Elena's house."

_Thanks so much Stefan, _Bonnie thinks acerbically with an internal scowl.

Damon steps in without any further ado, closing the door behind him. If only Elena didn't invite him in before…

"What are you doing here, Damon?" she repeats. Note: Bonnie doesn't like repeating herself. Damon knows that, and _just _Damon knows that because he is the only one who's figured out all the ways to irritate Bonnie. Sometimes they can go on and on for hours, retorting insults at each other back and forth like two six-year-olds disagreeing about which crayon color is better. Of course, Damon always winds up losing because Bonnie has her magic abilities and thank God for **that. **_('I can start fires with my mind…fires kill vampires, right?')_

"Just here to ask you to go out with me on a date. I don't know why I bother with asking because who would turn down someone like _me_?" Damon explains, motioning up and down his body with his hand. _Um, me?_

"What are you doing here?" she asks. Third time's a charm, right?

"I told you," he begins, walking closer and closer to her until there's hardly any room separating the two of them. It's still too much space for Damon, though. "You. Me. A date. Tomorrow night." _Is he for real? _"Now what do you say?" He smirks.

"Why?" Bonnie doesn't like repeating herself, and Damon doesn't like explaining himself. Simple.

But right now, Damon doesn't want to explain himself because _he _doesn't either. A few answers are in his mind but none are correct. He doesn't know what to say, for once in his life. Something sarcastic? Maybe, but that'll only cause Bonnie to give him one of her 'witchy migraines'. Something sweet and romantic? Not bad, but it'd be too unlike-Damon. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he knows what he wants to say to Bonnie but that is the truth. _You don't tell the truth unless you're drunk or Stefan or you're being burned to death, _Damon reminds himself. But the intimidating part is that he **wants **to tell her the truth because he **knows **it's the only way she'll agree to go out with him. And what Damon wants, Damon gets. (Most of the time.)

Wondering where the hell he should start, Damon gets rid of the space between them—the very little space—and pushes her overgrown bangs out of her face.

"Listen, Bonnie. Thatkiss yesterday wasn't nothing and you and I both know it so stop playing naïve. I felt…_something_ …between us and I don't know what the _fuck_ it is but it's been annoying the hell out of me ever since you left so what do you say we test 'us' out?" Who knew Damon was capable of being so honest? Surely not Bonnie. _Wow, so romantic, _Bonnie sardonically thinks.

"Okay." _Did I just agree? _

"Good to know you have some sense in you."

"Good to know you have some honesty in you. I'll go on the date on one condition…no blood-sharing or whatever else it is that you do on regular dates," Bonnie informs him. _Judging again, _Damon wants to remind her but resists. Instead, he settles for that eye-thing he does that drives people (especially Bonnie) insane, and says,

"Tomorrow night, it is then." Exit Damon.

Before Bonnie even gets a chance to regret what she said, Caroline darts on over to her. Her dead-serious expression written across her face reads: You better tell me that what I just overheard isn't true. But Bonnie just grumbles and pitifully pushes her out of the way—she needs some coffee…or rum.

Why did she agree? She did **not **just get herself into a date with Damon Salvatore!

Oh, but she did…

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. All rights go to The CW and LJ Smith. I do not own the song, I'm the One by Ke$ha. Or the stores Bonnie and Elena shopped at. Basically, I only own this story.<strong>

**So how was this chapter? It's not my personal favorite. Kinda let me down, but I'd love to hear **_**your**_** thoughts. What do you think will happen on their DATE? What do you **_**wish **_**would happen on their date? This chapter wasn't my favorite but I swear things will get more interesting later on! Review with your answers/thoughts/comments and if you love Bamon (like I do)! **

**XOXO,**

**Alexis**


	3. Chapter 3: There's a Spark InBetween Us

**A/N: I'm back! Thanks SO much for the feedback/alerts. **

**Review if you love Bamon! It'll only take you thirty seconds to review anyways. Hope you guys like it…here's chapter 3!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: There's a Spark In-Between Us<p>

"_If I said my heart was beating loud, if we could escape the crowd somehow…if I said I want your body now? Would you hold it against me?"_

_Hold It Against Me covered by Sam Tsui_

* * *

><p>Damon undoes the top couple buttons of his black shirt, deciding that he looks sexier that way, and the reflection of him in the full-length mirror is proof that he is absolutely right. That's when a familiar figure with light ash-brown hair and forest green eyes depicting sincerity and sympathy shows up in the background.<p>

"Stefan," Damon says icily, not bothering to turn around to speak to him. "You should really stop brooding. Causes wrinkles."

"Very funny," Stefan starts. He moves from his original position of leaning one arm against the frame of the door and his hands shoved in his pockets to walking towards Damon. "Look, Damon. I don't think it's a good idea—a _safe_ idea—to go out with Bonnie tonight."

"Now how would I survive without my brooding, bunny-feeding little brother telling me what to do?" he asks rhetorically, his mocking tone succeeding to add onto the sarcasm.

"If you go as far as to hurting Bonnie tonight—" Damon discontinues him and starts a statement of his own.

"Now for a 'seventeen' year-old, you worry too much," he tells him matter-of-factly with his well-known, trademark smirk.

"If you go as far as to hurting Bonnie tonight, Elena will never forgive you," Stefan finishes off his previous sentence, hiding his trepidation.

"_Elena _can back off."

* * *

><p>Bonnie hops into his blue '69 Camaro and he can't take his eyes off her, in her skinny jeans and pretty purple v-neck. Nothing new, nothing special, clearly. But that doesn't stop Damon from complimenting her. <em>God, is he unbelievably sexy or what? <em>she thinks as she catches a quick yet good glimpse of him. Bonnie has always been well-informed of how Damon is 'inhumanely beautiful' (quoted from a novel Bonnie read in her spare time called 'Dark Reunion' that truly relates to her life) but tonight, she's really taking notice.

He turns on the radio and changes the station to Kiss FM for the sake of being a Southern gentleman…or as close as he can be to one. Shortly afterwards, 'Sexy and I Know It' by LMFAO is coming to a close.

"Caroline and I always talk about how annoying this song is," she brings up in an attempt to make small talk.

"I like it. Really…_relates _to me," Damon says back making Bonnie burst out laughing, not being able to contain it.

"Oh, I know," she responds. _Is she flirting or just playing around…or both? _The thought can't seem to stop lingering in his mind.

A new song starts to open and Bonnie recognizes it as 'The One That Got Away' by Katy Perry. It just-so happens that it's one of her very favorites. Sure, the song reminds her of Jeremy—bringing back the anger, the hurt, the memories—but it also reminds her that she's they're over for good. Bonnie finds herself subconsciously singing along. This draws Damon's attention.

"You have a nice voice," he comments, taking a quick look over at her as she lifts a shoulder.

"I like yours better," she returns and freezes, realizing that she's said it out loud. He smirks. There really isn't anyone who can smirk as well as him.

"I like my voice too," he agrees. Of course he would say something like that.

Despite his comment, the embarrassment in Bonnie fades away and is replaced by a feeling she hasn't felt in quite a while. _Happiness. _A smile curves upon Bonnie's lips. It's the way he talks that makes her smile. His voice is so sarcastic and dark. Sexy and edgy. Passionate and cool. Determined and lustful. All at the same time.

They stay quiet the rest of the car ride over to the Grill. It's not an uneasy silence. In the most peculiar, foreign way, it's far from an 'awko taco', as Caroline would put it. The silence is rather comfortable and neither one of them seem to mind it.

At the Grill, they walk in together. Like a couple that's been dating for months. His arm is slung around her waist and he's holding her close. Real close. Bonnie doesn't mind it a bit. She likes it. Hell, he can't read her mind—she loves it. He's warm, despite how vampires are said to be cold (okay, so Damon Salvatore is **hot**, to put it realistically), and she can easily catch a whiff of his Drakkar Noir that makes her almost high_. Damon wears Drakkar Noir?_

The two of them take a seat at the front counter. Matt, with a dishrag over his shoulder, passes by them and does a double-take in astonishment. Well, who wouldn't be? It's **Damon**on a _date _with **Bonnie**. Call the paparazzi, right?

"Hey Matt," Bonnie greets whole-heartedly with a genuine smile. For a second, Matt's wondering if Damon's compelled her into going out with him. He stays out of the supernatural drama for a reason—he can never keep up with the latest news.

"Hey Bon," he returns with that nice-boy grin of his. "Hey Damon." Damon gives a bitter expression back at him. "So what can I get for you two?" Bonnie just orders a coffee because of the minimal amount of sleep she's had last night—she was tossing and turning and glancing at the clock, whilst fretting about the date she got herself into—, while Damon goes for some alcohol.

"If you didn't want anything so casual, this date could've gone _**very **_differently," he begins, taking a sip of bourbon. Bonnie raises an eyebrow, telling him to continue on. "Well, we'd go to a drive-in to a watch a classic film from the '50s—maybe starring Audrey Hepburn—and have some hot sex in my car."

Bonnie almost chokes on her caramel latte with no foam and holds back her laugh.

"Damon! Please be kidding!" she begs.

"I am, I am…" he responds while spreading his arms in a 'relax' way. "There's no way it'd be an Audrey Hepburn movie. She was a total bitch to me back when I met her. The movie would star Marilyn Monroe. Now that's a woman who knew how to get what she wanted…" Bonnie shoots him a warning look that's surprisingly playful. "No. I'd take you to the beach. The sun would be going down. We'd walk along the shoreline. Waves would be crashing into us. I'd tell you how you look good. You'd smile. On the ride back, I'd kiss you, wanting to take it further but not doing so because I respect your boundaries. And I'd go home and think about you **all night**." His voice drops an octave at the end.

_Who are you and what have you done to the real Damon? _Bonnie thinks. She's horribly disturbed by the thought that Damon Salvatore can be a romantic at times.

"Wow. That's…umm…deep. Really romantic, actually. It's something almost—" she begins but Damon quickly brings his index finger to her mouth.

"Don't say it."

"I'm saying it," she replies and sticks her tongue out. _Way to act like a third grader._ "It's something almost Stefan would plan."

"Really know how to flatter me, Bennett," he says, shaking his head sideways with that smirk on his face that hasn't left his face the entire night.

"I try," her tone is sweet like an overfrosted cake and Damon finds this both funny and strangely _cute_. He always found her hot. But since when did he find Bonnie cute? Much less, attractive on more than a strictly sexual level?

"Well, if you liked that idea, there's always the fifth date," he offers, quirking his brow in a suggestive manner.

"Now what makes you so sure that there'll be a fifth date?" Bonnie returns a grin back at him, except hers is more seductive.

"Maybe 'cuz you can't resist me? My good looks, my style, my charm, my unflinching ability to listen to…Taylor Swift." _There's the Damon I know. _

"You really love saying that, don't you?"

"Stefan told you?"

"A little bit," she confesses sheepishly, blush staining her cheeks.

***BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD***

"Wait, so you said earlier that you met Marilyn Monroe _and _Audrey Hepburn," Bonnie points out as Damon nods slowly, musing over where she could possibly be going with this. "They're, like, only some of the most famous actresses ever. What, did you meet Elizabeth Taylor too?" He gives her a knowing glance. "You met Elizabeth Taylor as well, didn't you?"

"Compulsion comes in handy." _Face-palm._

Downing the contents of her porcelain coffee mug, she continues this discussion.

"What were they like?" Bonnie's never been one who invested an interest in Hollywood starlets but Caroline has a certain 'obsession', you could call it, over them which tends to rub off on her.

"Tasty."

***BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD***

"You're telling me that you don't like pickles either? What's the matter with you, Blondie, and Elena?" he asks. Neither of them remembers how they got to this ultra-random subject.

"I don't know…they're just too pickle-y."

"Some intense adjectives you got there—you could be a writer," replies Damon in a rather joking way. _That's kinda Elena's forte. _

"Well, you're the one who drinks blood!" Bonnie counters without missing a beat.

She's quite a good conversationalist, having a balance of sarcasm and consideration. Bonnie can put up just as good of a fight as Damon all day, every day. She sometimes hates herself for it. Because, if anything, she shares similarities in characteristics with him but overall, they really are different. If you look deep down, at least. But anyway, Bonnie and Damon both know how far they can go conversation-wise with each other without pushing the envelope too much and completely breaking themselves. He can be himself around her. Vice-versa.

"You've got me there," he discloses.

***BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD***

"Who was the first person you ever slept with?" The two of them have been exchanging small confessions for the past five minutes. It's weird, the act of doing so. Damon is the last person Bonnie ever hypothesized that she would be admitting **anything** to, and yet…here she is. The plus side? If he ever spills her information, she can set him on fire. She just loves it when things work out.

"Matt," Bonnie replies after a great deal of faltering. His eyes narrow and he wonders how a lame-ass, typical boy like _Matt_ could get a girl like _Bonnie._

"When you say it like that, it sounds bad!" she shrieks, glancing down at the rusty wooden floorboards as she stifles her giggles.

"It doesn't sound great no matter how I say it," he reasons, pointing to her factually with the half-empty (or half-full) glass still in his grasp.

"We were drunk! He was miserable after the break up. It was a one-night thing and we swore not to tell Elena. _Not. A. Big. Deal_," she coaxes as she smacks Damon's arm meagerly.

"They're not kidding when they say everybody's got a dirty little secret," he says causing Bonnie to roll her eyes. "What else are you hiding?"

"You'll find out one of these days," she responds, sounding far too provocative than she'd prefer and Damon is the only one who'd ever be able to notice it. "Well who did you lose it to?"

"Katherine. It was back when I was human. She and I were just talking one night and things went a little further than they were supposed to. She bit me. It didn't freak me out that she was a vampire. It seemed sorta…_sexy_ in a dangerous way at the time," he acknowledges as Bonnie sips her coffee while listening politely. Ha. Who would've ever predicted that she'd be respectfully paying attention to something Damon was telling her? "Katherine used to seem so right to me back in 1864. She seemed so right for Stefan, too." It's nearly astonishing how composed Damon is while he's talking about Katherine and Stefan. He's still hurt by his past but the pain starts to numb after a while. _It's good that you're letting go._

***BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD***

By the end of their date, Damon asks what Bonnie looks for in a guy. It's not meant to come out so strong. He doesn't quite mean it like that and Bonnie is assured of it.

"Umm…I don't know. Personality? Looks? How he treats me?" Bonnie twirls her hair in an apprehensive-Bella-Swan fashion. She doesn't know what she looks for in a boy. _Someone who won't hurt her._ Physically and emotionally. Jeremy broke her heart—metaphorically—and heartbreak is something Bonnie can't handle anymore. "I'm look for a guy who…isn't going to break my heart. Isn't going to cheat on me or hurt me."

"You're asking for a lot…" Bonnie gives him a momentary look of caution, leading him to start over. "All guys aren't like that, y'know." _With the exception of a few, I'll believe it when I see it. _She pushes her negative thoughts away and mentions how he used to be like that.

"I still am." She waves his hand dismissively to him in the air. _Bad-boy Damon is so hot but irritating at the same time…it's the most dangerous combination in the world. _"But I'm different. I won't hurt you." He expresses those last four words in a light way, no seriousness implied, which causes Bonnie to say,

"You tried to kill me."

"And you tried to kill me." _What a sweet story to one-day tell our kids…shut up, Bonnie. _"That's how it is, Bon." _That's how __**what **__is?_

"Do you want me to believe you?"

"I'd highly recommend it."

He pulls over on her driveway. Damon's eyes lock gazes with Bonnie's. His eyes are the most brilliant shade of ice blue that contrasts deeply with her mossy green ones. Bonnie swears that she sees enticement, almost temptation flash by.

"Are you going to kiss me?" she blurts out without thinking. Well, she's feeling bold today—she is on a date with a vampire, isn't she?

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

"If I said yes, would you hold it against me?" Her breath is shaky with anticipation. But she's not nervous, and that's…strange**. **Bonnie can't think of a reason to be nervous about Damon kissing her—unlike how she feels before other boys do so. When it's with other guys, her heart is pounding out of her chest and she's always anxious about what they'll think afterwards. With Damon, Bonnie has **no freaking clue**_ why_she's not nervous. It's as if everything comes more intuitively, _naturally _with him.

"I might be thinking about it," he replies smoothly in a surprisingly good-humored fashion.

A smile flits upon Bonnie's face right before Damon leans in and presses his lips upon hers. It's like a slight brush against the lips. Closed-mouth. Soft. Sweet. Resembling to a goodbye embrace between two lovers. He's about to end it but Bonnie, with her hand placed on his neck, draws him back closer to her and continues the kiss. It's almost…addictive like a drug (your love, your love, your love is my drug!); there's a certain ecstasy about it.

When they pull away from each other, Bonnie speechlessly tucks a loose curl behind her ear and tells him the classic 'I had a great time' before setting foot outside his car and making her way to her front porch in awe. In the very beginning when they first met and Bonnie was oh-so innocent—having no idea that vampires are more than just 'demon creatures of the night' and 'figments of your imagination' stated in various stories and motion pictures—, she contemplated dating Damon in the future. Of course, that all ran down the drain when he attacked her in the woods and left Caroline heartbroken and tear-stained.

Damon drives off after watching Bonnie enter her home.

So their first date wasn't the most romantic thing in the world. No carriage ride to the beach, followed by a romantic stroll along the shoreline as the waves crash into them and the sun sinks down, bleeding through its pinks and scarlets and rich golds that blend together to create a frame-worthy scenery. But Damon can honestly say that it was the best date of his life.

Bonnie dashes up to her room with hopes to contact Caroline. She hears her phone ringing. _Whoa, coincidence or what? _She rummages frantically through her wristlet filled with unnecessary items (movie ticket to Breaking Dawn Part 1, earphones, a Red Mango coupon, student ID, breath mints, and a calligraphy pen) before coming across her cell. She accepts the call quickly without taking a glance at the caller ID.

"Care, I'm so glad you called. I just came back from my date with….Damon." To her, it's weird to say those words paired up in a sentence. Like speaking a language she's never heard of. Bonnie continues on with the details of the date—how they laughed, talked, had fun, kissed, and didn't kill each other. She's so wrapped up in her own little flashback to notice how Caroline hasn't spoken a single word throughout the entire phone call. Caroline. Not talking for over five minutes**. **_Is that possible?_ "…And I'm freaking out. I think…I think **I might like him. **Hello? Are you still there?"

Checking to see if Caroline didn't get bored of her story and hung up, Bonnie takes a good look at her cell phone screen and her blood almost turns to ice. The caller ID reads _Elena_. Not Caroline. _Perfect. Just _**fucking**_ fantastic._

"Elena?" she stretches out each syllable out slowly.

"…You and _Damon_?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I have no idea what's going on with my writing—this chapter isn't as well-written as I wanted it to be but I hope it was entertaining enough with all the Bamon conversations. Special thanks to my best friend, Claire, for being my editor! …And that wraps up chapter 3. Yeah, I am gonna leave it right there! **

**Reviews motivate me to update faster! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or Hold It Against Me. All rights go to The CW, LJ Smith, Sam Tsui, and Britney Spears.**

**XOXO,**

**Alexis**


	4. Chapter 4: I Think I Like You

**A/N: Hellooooo! The responses have been beyond amazing! As always: Review if you love Bamon! It'll only take you thirty seconds to review anyways! Here's Chapter 4!**

* * *

><p>"<em>No, I haven't been drinking but this feels like an addiction. And I know I got the symptoms, I'm in love! Now the whole world is spinning and I'm stuck with blurry vision. Yeah, I wish I've been drinking! I'm in love, love, love!"<em>

_Haven't Been Drinking by Jessica Lowndes_

* * *

><p>"…You and <em>Damon<em>?"

Bonnie's caramel complexion pales. She swallows the lump stuck in her throat, wanting to drop her phone and crush it into a million pieces. (Or something less melodramatic than that because inside, Bonnie is just a normal teenage girl who's very tied to her technology like everyone else.) God, she wishes she could hang up and act like Elena didn't find out anything. But that's not possible is it? _Because in a world filled with vampires, werewolves, doppelgängers, hybrids, and witches, time travel is what's impossible._

"You and Damon _went out_? You and Damon _kissed_?" She has this insanely vivid mental image of Elena with her hand clapped over her mouth and dark chocolate brown eyes wide.

"Elena, I meant to tell y—" she sputters, tripping over her words. _Nice job acting nonchalant._

"N-no, Bonnie, it's…_**fine**_," Elena interrupts, trying to keep her astounded voice steady and secure. "Uh…why didn't you tell me about you two?"

"Because I thought you'd freak out?" Bonnie over-exaggerates the upper inflection at the end, which, at first, she thinks is a big mistake. _It's so not. _But it's far from her fault, right? Because when you're in a huge mess—where you feel like the pressure is on and your heart is pounding so loudly out of your chest—it's almost like every mistake, even the tiniest of ones, seems fatal. "I'm sorry. You're my best friend and I should've told you but it's…" Her stuttering voice falters off.

"What?" Elena fills in, pinning her defined eyebrows together.

_To you, the problem here is me and Damon. But I couldn't tell you because of __**you **__and Damon, _Bonnie fights the urge to divulge using up every ounce of her will power. Bringing up her and Damon's relationship can only make matters worse than they already are.

"I didn't—I _couldn't _tell you about my…" she hesitates to find the right word to describe what she and Damon have. "I couldn't tell you about me and Damon," she settles with, "because I didn't think you'd _understand._"

"Understand?" it's supposed to roll off her tongue like a question but it comes off more like a statement, or a repetition of what Bonnie said a few seconds ago.

"You love Stefan." It's a strange way to start off the explanation, yet it works. "But you and Damon have…_something_, or used to have something. It's weird trying to confess to my best friend about a guy when he's not **just a guy**," _he's a post-homicidal vampire with an occasional drinking problem,_ "and when he's possibly still wanting you and you're possibly wanting him while you're dating his brother. I couldn't tell you and pretend that everything wasn't making you uncomfortable." Bon stammers a couple times along the process but manages to make a good clarification. She just hopes she's managing to make a good friend.

"Bonnie," Elena begins, as the lingering questions flood into her head. The very idea of the two of them is just challenging to wrap her mind around. They hated each other. They tried to** kill** each other. Bonnie hated vampires. Hate-_d? _Damon loved Elena. Love-_d? _Nothing about this is adding up to her. Is this one of those cliché relationship ideals where two people caught up in hatred towards each other one day fall for one another? Has Bonnie always liked Damon? Has Damon always liked Bonnie?

Three words: what the hell.

Three words: oh my God!

Three words: Damon and Bonnie?

Is this something that's gonna blow over in a few days? Or something that's gonna last? If it does last, does Elena need to get used to it or is she gonna be this lost all day, every day? And if it blows over in a couple of days, are things going back to the way they were or will the 'spark' remain between Bonnie and Damon?

The really, _really _unsettling part of all this is the fact that Elena cares. She shouldn't. Because she should love Stefan. No one else. Damon is supposed to be her friend. No…feelings there. So what does Elena have to be upset about? If Damon is her friend and Bonnie is her friend—her best friend—, then why should it be any different from when Caroline and Matt got together?

Key word here is why.

Elena Gilbert. She's fairly stubborn at times but that's only because she's determined and strong. Right now, the feelings and mixed emotions make her feel just about everything but that.

"Bonnie," she starts again, this time with no intention of pausing after her witch-friend's name. But what can she say when she truly has no idea what to think? Anything Elena can tell Bonnie can easily destroy her friendship with her.

Or her relationship with Stefan. She shudders at the petrifying thought.

"There's nothing between me and Damon. We kissed, like, once. And I only did it because I thought he was dying. I thought if I didn't kiss him then, I'd regret it for the rest of my life but that's not the case anymore. If it was Matt or Tyler in his place back then, I would've kissed them too." _Damon and I? There is no Damon and I. There's a Stefan and I. There's a Damon and Bonnie. _

"I should've told you sooner, huh?"

"Wouldn't have hurt." _Maybe it would have, _Bonnie thinks with only a small quantity of sarcasm, _who knows? _"Bonnie?"

"Yeah?"

"Caroline's not replacing me…right?"

"The three of us are best friends. Why change something that's already perfect the way it is?"

They spend about an hour more, give or take, on the phone. Elena's still not sure how she feels about Damon and Bonnie together, but decides that it's just something she needs to get a hang of. _I can't control who they do and do not date, _Elena reminds herself, _Stefan and I are destined to be together. We're like Monica and Chandler for crying out loud! _Elena asks whether or not Matt was there on at The Mystic Grill when they were on their date. Bonnie answers yes. _("Oh, that's cool. He still needs to bring me back that DVD of the movie all of us saw last weekend.") _And Elena wonders how Klaus managed to compel Bonnie if vampires couldn't compel witches. _("Originals can compel the supernatural, right? Well, I'm part of the supernatural.") _

The rest of their conversation goes along those lines. Elena asks the questions, Bonnie answers them. They share a few laughs. It's nice.

After ending the call with Elena, Bonnie releases a yawn and stretches her arms above her head. It's ten-thirty and she's conjecturing how it got so late but lets the thought fly out of her brain. _There's no need to think about anything else. _As exhausted as she is, she calls Caroline and fills her in on all the details because (let's face it) Caro _would _seriously hurt Bonnie if she found out that Elena knew about the Bonnie/Damon date before her—accident or no accident. _Best friends forever. _

"Ohmigod. Elena found out? She was okay with it? Damon met Audrey Hepburn?" Caroline showers Bonnie with inquiries.

"Yeah, she was oka—"

"Did Damon meet Audrey Hepburn?" Caroline repeats in a more demanding tone this time around.

"Apparently," she replies with a careless lift of one shoulder, not that Caroline could even see the shrug.

"Okay, we are absolutely getting back to that subject. But for now…_are you two dating and if so, where is it leading_?" After uttering the last word, she zips her mouth shut and waits intently for the response.

"Don't get me started." _I honestly have no clue. _

* * *

><p>Three days have passed on by. Each of them had been slower, more tedious, and filled with anxiety than the previous. Bonnie doesn't know what she's waiting for—she expected Damon to at least call her or text her or meet with her. She scolds at herself. She hates how she's turning into one of those clingy girls. There's nothing wrong with being clingy—she used to be, for sure. But being clingy and dependent to Damon is the awful part.<p>

She shouldn't care if they go out again or not. She shouldn't care if he calls. She shouldn't care if he's out at a bar right now, hammered and taking advantage of the barista. She shouldn't care about him.

They kissed. They went on a date. It was fun. But that's all and that's where the last page is turned. And that last page only reads two words: The End. Whatever she and Damon had for a momentary lapse of time has to be over because the concept of them together **doesn't make sense.**

* * *

><p>It's twelve-thirty. Damon is coming off a hangover—he had woken up next to a girl with auburn hair in a Christina Grimmie hairstyle and a distant memory of meeting her at the club was coming back to him. It takes over several bottles of the strongest vodka to get a vampire wasted. The girl had left over four hours ago and he's been practically isolated in his room ever since. Plainly, lying on his bed and staring into the ceiling. It's such a Stefan thing to do and that makes him annoyed. But only for a second, though, because annoyance is the last thing he has to cope with. Three days. He's hasn't spoken to Bonnie in three days and it's driving him insane. He wants to know if it drives her insane too. <em>I bet it does. <em>

And that's what he's been thinking about for the last four hours. _Bonnie. _He doesn't **want **to **want **her but he can't help it. 'You don't get to choose who you fall for', which is more than unjust in his opinion.

He considers calling her. He doesn't.

* * *

><p>Bonnie plugs in her flat-iron and starts to straighten her hair. Finishing off the last piece of her locks, she takes out her makeup kit and applies a little mascara, pink tint on her cheeks, and rose-toned lipstick. She dresses in a sparkly champagne-colored minidress and bronze platform heels. Grabbing her metallic gold clutch and birthday presents off the sleek counter of her vanity, she heads out. She drives in her small blue car to the Lockwood residence, where Caroline's big birthday bash is being held at tonight. Damon is probably out having a good time. <em>Why shouldn't I?<em>

Pulling up on the street, she walks into the house. It's just a typical high school party scene, minus everybody making out with each other. _Oh, Mystic Falls. _There's a seriously messed-up circle formed by half the people at the party, and it looks like they're playing truth or dare. The rest are just dancing along to the upbeat, catchy music. _These people must have the best lives. The ones where nobody gets a stake through their heart or worry about making it to the next day. _Caroline rushes up to her, looking like she's stepped out of a Teen Vogue magazine in her LBD by DKNY and fierce pink pumps.

"Bonnie!" she remarks, enveloping her friend in a big hug. "I'm glad you could make it. I'm so mad at Elena and Stefan." She folds her arms in front of her chest and pouts.

"They didn't mean to schedule their getaway out of town on the same day as your party, Care." Bonnie is good at being the voice of reason. If you have a special quality, you should take advantage of it.

"Yeah but…"

"They got you presents," she includes, giving the gifts clutched in her other hand a small wave of emphasis.

"I guess it's not healthy to hold a grudge…" Caroline begins with a sheepish smile as she takes the presents from Bonnie's hand into hers.

Bonnie sorta just tunes out for the rest of the party. Dances with a few guys, talks with a couple girls, avoids the spiked punch. Allows her mind to wander off. Had Caroline invited Damon? _Why do you care? __**You don't. **__You __**so**__ do. His compelling ice blue eyes. Stupid, __**stupid **__smirk. That intimidating factor about him. For the love of God, I feel like I'm obsessing over him! 'Cuz you are. _It's a peculiar day when Bonnie Bennett starts to admit that she has feelings for Damon Salvatore. It's an even more mysterious day when she begins to mentally argue with herself about it.

That's when Damon comes in. Literally, as if on cue. _Has he been invited in before? Well, he must have. _Bonnie doesn't know why he's here. Damon doesn't quite know either but he has a rough outline of what the reason might be.

"Why is Damon staring at you with his intense vampire look?" Caroline asks, walking up to Bonnie with a face that reads curiosity and a plate of birthday cake. _His what? _

"His intense vampire look?" Bonnie echoes, quirking a brow.

"Yeah. I mean, it's different than his smoldering vampire look, neither of which straight too far from his 'Hey, I'd Bite Her' look." Caroline's got a sparkly, eccentric personality and can easily make any dramatic moment a comedy, which is part of why Bonnie loves her so much.

"I…I don't know."

"You don't know a lot of things these days," she notes as she takes a spoonful out of her chocolate cake. Bonnie sighs and nods. She knows she's acting a little distant, but she's too caught up in her thoughts to find the nerve to care. "Well, are you gonna stand here staring out into space or are you going to go over to him and talk? Y'know, talk? That thing you do where you move your mouth and speak words?" _Thanks for clearing it up for me! _"Please? Just go talk to him. It'll be my birthday present."

"What about the present I already got you?" Bonnie deadbeats.

"You know I'm exchanging that purse," she argues back defensively. It's not exactly the best way in the world to convince Bonnie to go over there and talk it up with Damon.

With an eyeroll towards Caroline, Bonnie walks over to where Damon is standing. He's having a conversation with some girl, although it's not as much of a conversation as it is a girl complaining about her life and Damon nodding along looking as uninterested as the day is long with his eyes narrowed.

"Witchy," he greets with his trademark smirk.

He ditches the girl and leads Bonnie to where everyone is dancing along to Haven't Been Drinking by Jessica Lowndes. (Caroline has recently become a huge fan of 90210.) They start dancing because even they have to admit, they're pretty hard to take your eyes off when the two of them are on the dance floor.

"Damon," she addresses almost formally. "I didn't think you'd come."

"So you've been thinking about me."

"Maybe a little," she replies with a blasé, casual tone. "Have you been thinking about me?"

_More than you can ever imagine, _he wants to tell her. But he doesn't. _Confessing. Desperate. _Those words aren't a part of his vocabulary, much less his dictionary.

"Maybe a little," he says back. _Ugh, _Bonnie groans in her head—he's so cocky. Smug. Full of himself. And Bonnie's starting to like that about him. She's starting to like _**him**_, in general. "A lot, actually. _Too much._"

"Is that a compliment?"

"Closest to one as you're gonna get." _And the old Damon is back. _He twirls her around until they're about to touch. It's almost like a scene out of a movie, but it _isn't. _They're not Noah and Allie or anything.

His eyes bore into hers. He delicately grazes his lips across hers, kind of like a first taste of a sugary, sweet dessert. Then, he presses harder. Really _indulging_. To Bonnie, this is .romantic. Taking it slow is insanely _dreamy. _

"God, Bonnie. Just give it a shot," he whispers softly into the breathtaking kiss.

"Give what a shot?" Bonnie decides to play dumb. There's nothing wrong with acting naïve, especially when knowing the darkest secrets behind Mystic Falls. It can never hurt to pretend like you forgot everything you've ever learned. Damon groans.

"Don't mess with me," he warns her in a teasing voice. She pulls him back close to steal another kiss; she's usually not one to take initiative. Damon just might be the exception. "…Us. Give us a try. See how it works out."

"Damon…" she begins, her voice dying in the end. She doesn't want to put up a fight or argue at all, she wants to give in_. _So she just settles for nodding instead. He seals it with a kiss.

Bonnie can't believe that any of this is happening. But it is. _And she's thrilled about it. _

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That's it for Chapter 4!**** I'm a little iffy about this one but it's a turning point in**** the story.**

**Y'know, I was sooo excited about the return of TVD but I got super disappointed. Bonnie had so many scenes but none with Damon. Elena told Stefan to go to hell…no, Elena, no! And don't get me started on that Delena moment at the end. I'm glad Meredith came in though. I hope Jeremy stays…and I'm looking forward to watching the next episode. Fingers crossed for Bamon and Stelena! **

**As always, review if you love BAMON! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or Haven't Been Drinking by Jessica Lowndes**

**XOXO,**

**TheAlexis**


	5. Chapter 5: Kiss Me 'Till You're Drunk

**A/N: The support towards this story has been amazing. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! REVIEW IF YOU LOVE BAMON! It'll only take you thirty seconds to review anyway. Here's Chapter 5! **

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Kiss Me 'Till You're Drunk<p>

"_Take me by the tongue and I'll know you._

_Kiss me 'till you're drunk and I'll show you._

_All the moves like Jagger, I got the moves like Jagger._

_I got the moves like Jagger._

_I don't need to try to control you._

_Look into my eyes and I'll own you_

_With them moves like Jagger, I got the moves like Jagger._

_I got the moves like Jagger…"_

_Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5_

* * *

><p>Bonnie pulls a paddle-brush through her dark, cascading waves and she slips into a pair of boy shorts and a racerback tank top. She grabs a glass bowl containing buttery microwaved popcorn and her worn-out copy of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, opening up to the page she stopped at last. It's refreshing to read something that's <strong>not <strong>her grimoire for a change.

_And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in the sunless town. Paler than me, the albino. They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those eyes—purplish, bruiselike shadows. As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their noses, all their features were straight, perfect, angular. _

Bonnie muses over how inexplicably different yet similar the vampires in this Stephenie Meyer bestseller are from those in her very life. Tremendously good looks, pale skin…the eyes might be the biggest factor that contrasts them. While the Cullen/Hales had topaz, occasionally darkening eyes, the Salvatores contrast so deeply from that. Stefan's are forest green that displays his old soul, sending off the vibe that shows that he's _lived. _Now Damon…

Oh, Damon.

His eyes are such a deep shade of ice blue.**Aquatic**_—_which is uncharacteristic for the stereotypical vampire. But anyways, his eyes are truly hypnotizing. _Compelling._

Bonnie chews down on her lower lip. She still can't believe that she and Damon are together…it's not something you can get used to with a snap of two fingers. But at the same time, she's relieved. Relieved that she doesn't have to freak out every single time she crosses paths with Damon. Relieved that he feels the same about her as she does with him.

"Judgey." Bonnie recoils in alarm as she shoots up on her bed. _Speak of the devil. _Damon is outside her window. _Isn't that a little Edward Cullen of him? _It's strange yet funny to her how he's still refers to her by nicknames like 'Judgey' and 'Witchy' and 'Little Witch' but she doesn't expect any less or any more than that from him.

"You're outside my window," Bonnie states straightforwardly, her heart racing and beating like a bass drum. Her cheeks redden a shade or two in embarrassment from stating the obvious as she slides in her bookmark and sets the novel and popcorn aside on her table. "What are you doing?"

"It got boring at the boarding house." _That's your excuse? _"Stefan's nauseating me with his lovey-dovey phone call with Elena." _Okay, that's a little better. _"You're good company." _Now you're talking. _"…I missed you…" _That's sweet. _"And—" _Stop talking._

"Damon, come in," she invites with a kind smile. He climbs in through the window and she stands up from her bed to go over to him. Damon gives him a small, chaste peck on her cheek.

"About time you invited me in. I don't have all eternity, you know." _Work a little harder on your jokes. _She narrows her eyes. He takes this as an opportunity to change the subject. "I never took you as someone who wore _so little _at home." Bonnie bites down hard on her lower lip again, but not so that it ruptures it and causes it to make a gash and bleed. _Having a bleeding lip is not a good idea when you're dating a vampire that is a magnificent kisser. _

Damon saunters through her room in a highly leisurely pace, making this big deal about how he's in no hurry. He traces the small knick-knacks on her desk, examines the photos of her, Elena, Caroline, and Matt push-pinned onto the corkboard, and casually goes through her drawers. He fishes out a lavender, suede-cover journal that Bonnie remembers writing in back in grade ten and the start of grade eleven.

"Not you too," he groans as he opens it up to a random page before Bonnie can protest. "…Uh-huh…Mr. Tanner was a douche…8, 14, 22…candles lit up when you turned around…_Now this is interesting_: 'Damon Salvatore is totally hot and he's the coolest guy I've ever met'."

"What? It does not say that!" Bonnie shrieks, charging up to him and snatching the pretty notebook out of his grip.

"I know, but it _should._" Bonnie rolls her eyes, setting the diary back into her drawer.

"You are _**so **_annoying." _But I like it. _Damon smirks in accomplishment, practically reading her mind.

They're dating, but that doesn't mean everything changes. They still have that interesting, noteworthy dynamic between them. They banter. Damon says something inappropriate. Bonnie threatens to set him on fire. It's not really the **first** thing that pops into your head when you think of the word 'relationship'. But it works for them. _And that's what really matters._

***BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD***

They end up watching season two of the hit sitcom, Friends. Damon doesn't pay attention in the beginning. Instead, he just tries to steal Bonnie's attention by planting wet, open-mouth kisses on her but that just earns him pitiful slaps or a small shove in the shoulder. He pretends to be hurt. She pretends to be sorry. That's how it goes for the first three or four episodes.

"Why does the blonde one get an eggplant instead of a steak?" Damon asks rhetorically after giving up on trying to ignore the TV.

"Because she's a vegetarian." Damon scoffs. He doesn't get it—humans not eating meat is like vampires feeding on **bunnies**…oh, wait.

***BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD***

"This is the best part!" Bonnie squeals happily while Damon cocks an eyebrow and chuckles in amusement. Her eyes are lit up like Christmas lights and Damon finds this pretty endearing.

"Wha—" before he can finish, Bonnie's hand shoots up to his mouth and covers it up. _Really? _They watch a woman in a coffee house open the door and capture a man into an intense kiss as some fitting music plays in the background and rain falls gently on them.

"That's beautiful," Bonnie sighs dreamily as she leans her head on Damon's shoulder.

"Like you," he adds softly.

"Could you **be **any sappier?" she questions, freezing after her brief realization. That sounds like something Chandler Bing would most likely say.

"Absolutely," he tells her, a silent 'duh' implicit in his joking tone.

***BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD*BD***

_'Hang in there, it's gonna happen!' _Phoebe (the vegetarian blonde one as Damon has been informed) insists, her peridot green eyes sparkling in belief.

_'H-how do you know that?' _

_'Because she's your lobster!' _she replies back with a laugh. The two guys sharing her space in the room with her exchange an unsure glance. _'It's a well-known fact that lobsters mate for life. That's why you see old lobsters in the tank, holding claws and walking around…' _She mimics two lobster claws walking together awkwardly and it causes Bonnie to almost double-over in laughter.

"Lobster?" Damon states monotonously in disbelief. Bonnie nods absentmindedly, not taking her gaze off the wide television screen. "This show makes no sense."

"Don't pretend you don't love it," she says, giving him a short kiss on the cheek. It's adorable to her. It's teasing to him.

Damon mentions how Seinfeld was better. Bonnie disagrees. _("Seinfeld was a classic." _Are you kidding me?_ "Wait up…you watched Seinfeld?" _No response_. "…Sometimes…"). _What would the two of them be without their constant arguments?

* * *

><p>Alaric scribbles key notes down on the board upfront. He notices that Elena and Bonnie aren't paying attention. Just nodding their heads. That's really enough to make him satisfied. They're managing to scrape by with B's and a couple A's and that's enough for him. At least they're not flunking like Jeremy. After all, they're barely eighteen and they've been going through things that normal teens <strong>aren't <strong>usually involved in.

Elena twirls her hair around her finger while exchanging flirty looks with Stefan. Bonnie's twiddles with her thumbs, noting this, when she feels her phone vibrating in her pocket.

**DAMON: WITCH. ;)**

**BONNIE: VAMPIRE.**

**DAMON: YOU'RE TEXTING ME IN CLASS. YOU'RE SO BAD, BONNIE.**

**BONNIE: SHUT UP.**

**DAMON: YOU SHUT UP.**

**BONNIE: DAMON, SHUT UP.**

**DAMON: NO, YOU SHUT UP.**

**BONNIE: R U REALLY PLAYING THIS GAME W/ ME?**

**DAMON: …MAYBE. WHY, DO YOU WANT ME TO BE PLAYING THIS GAME WITH YOU?**

She's genuinely curious as to how he somehow twists words around to make the most ridiculous innuendos that make her blush ridiculously. _Bonnie Bennett rarely blushes. _

**BONNIE: HOW DO YOU MAKE EVERYTHING SOUND INAPPOPRIATE?**

**DAMON: I DON'T. ;) YOU NEED TO GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, BONNIE.**

**BONNIE: RIC'S LOOKING. **

"Bonnie. You know the rules," Alaric—(*cough, cough* Mr. Saltzman)—states simply as she exhales deeply in surrender and smiles. But her cell phone has different plans in mind and vibrates again. She opens the text message sent by Damon anyways, as if by instinct.

"…Damon says 'hi'…"

With that, the bell strikes, signaling the end of the period. Bonnie drops her phone into her book bag and follows Elena and Stefan out the door. The three of them meet up with Caroline and they head outside for lunch because it is a fairly nice day outside. _For Mystic Falls, at least. _Not fifteen minutes later of eating in peaceful silence does Bonnie realize that Stefan and Caroline are staring—no, _studying_ her like she's the most eccentric work of art at the museum that they just can't figure out what the artist was trying to portray.

"What?" Bonnie blurts out. Stefan shakes his head. Elena knits her eyebrows together, tilting her head to the side a little. Caroline chooses to play the brave one.

"Damon's scent is basically radiating off you. It's creepy." Stefan laughs...more like chuckles because Stefan hardly laughs. Elena stares bewilderedly at Bonnie, taking a sniff. _You're not a vampire, sweetie. _Caroline leans in closer to Bonnie and breathes in deeply."Is that…Drakkar Noir?"

Bonnie grins awkwardly.

"You look happy these days. Relaxed," Caroline comments, squinting her eyes. "Must be the effects of Damon Salvatore."

Bonnie crumbles up the aluminum foil that she wrapped her turkey sandwich in and tosses it in Caroline's direction. She grimaces. _Now _Stefan laughs. He has a great laugh, almost harmonious. Elena shifts uncomfortably in her place. Crosses and uncrosses her legs. Tugs at the long sleeves of her cashmere sweater.

No one seems to notice.

* * *

><p>"Why are we having another homecoming?" Bonnie asks, plunging her brush in blue paint and coloring in the big block letter that read 'Robert E. Lee' across the banner. Elena wipes her hands off thoroughly with a damp rag and replies,<p>

"No idea. Caroline said something about having a proper homecoming…which probably means no Klaus or hybrids." _Gasp! A night without drama? Is that possible? _Bonnie lifts a shoulder. _That does sound fair._ Then, Bonnie glances down at her fingers covered in blue paint. _Ugh, I'm gonna have to dig under my nails to get it out. _Homecoming doesn't sound so hot to her anymore. "So, uh, are you going with Damon?" She pushes her hair out of her face and stands up straight, waiting impatiently for the answer. Elena's heart starts to speed up, which it always does when she's trying to hide something.

"Yeah. Is Stefan taking you?"

"Yep," Elena loosens up a bit and a smile tugs at the corners of her lips.

"We have dress shopping with Care after this, right?"

"I can't wait. I saw the perfect dress at Charlotte Russe when we went there last time." Bonnie laughs but for an obvious different reason than Elena. Before her mind has a flashback of everything that happened and she starts acting like an idiot, she says,

"C'mon, Caroline's gonna kill us if we don't finish."

* * *

><p>Elena looks stunning, as always. Gorgeous blue dress and a handsome vampire next to her. Caroline is just as beautiful in her Dahlia MacPhee. Bonnie isn't any different from her friends, except for the fact that she's practically glowing with happiness. <em>God, we should've gotten Bonnie a new beau right after Beremy ended, <em>Caroline thinks to herself.

'Tonight' by Enrique Iglesias blaring out of the speakers and bouncing off of the walls. The thundering music booming through the gym causes it to vibrate just a little bit. By the corner, Stefan and Elena are flirting with each other. Single people glower at them as they pass by. Caroline's aquamarine eyes are huge with glee as she sees what a big success homecoming is. Damon walks up to Bonnie. Hands her a drink. She takes one sip before handing it back to him, clearing her throat.

"Vodka?" she states, trying to shake off the strong, unfamiliar taste on her tongue.

"So you're not much of a drinker?" Damon asks, easily downing the contents of the clear plastic cup Bonnie gave back to him.

"Not really."

Bonnie observes how Damon looks incredibly good in a suit that it's not even funny. But she's realized this ages ago. _Stupid, amazing physique of his. _Damon pulls Bonnie closer to him, removing the gap between them. He traces the delicate features of her face with his hand.

"You're beautiful. I don't tell you that enough." _Isn't this atypical of him. _

"…We haven't been dating that long, Damon."

"You ruined the moment." _I'm sorry._ But she doesn't say this out loud, she just smiles in apology. That's more than sufficient for him.

He intertwines his fingers with hers and they start to dance. They're such good dancers. They're even better together. They could go on _Dancing with the Stars _and win…if Damon or Bonnie were a celebrity, at least. The song switches to Domino by Jessie J.

_Every second is a highlight—when we touch, don't ever let me go. _

_Dirty dancing in the moonlight, take me down like I'm a domino. _

Damon dips Bonnie down and twirls her around. All eyes are subconsciously on them. There might as well be a spotlight shining down on them.

"What is this?" Bonnie inquires, ignoring all the intense stares and whispers. She can only make out a few comments. _("Is the guy Bonnie is with that guy who's always at the Mystic Grill drinking with that history teacher?" _and _"Whoa, since when did Bonnie get a boyfriend?" _and _"Hey, Bonnie's dancing with the same guy that she danced with at the decades dance!") _

"I think this is a homecoming dance."

_"I'm serious, Damon,_" she coaxes. "Is this long-term or…?"

"It doesn't matter." He seems to have it all figured out and his exterior illustrates that impeccably, but he doesn't know any more than she does. "I like…whatever the hell this is." Cue song change.

_Just shoot for the stars if it feels right,_

_Then aim for my heart if you feel like…_

She nods, taking this his answer into consideration. She knows that she does too, but Bonnie's likes labels. Because labels make everything clearer. Like books that end with very little mystery, tied up in a nice bow with all the questions answered. _The problem is, life isn't like that._ There will always be questions remaining. _And isn't it all far more exciting with a little mystery added to the mix?_ She naturally doesn't have much of a problem with any of this but she's used to having labels.

He presses his lips onto hers. _None of this is anything I'm familiar with, _she recognizes as she reckons the kisses that leave her with wobbly knees, tension that drives her wild, and the constant exchanging of glances. _I should've been more prepared for having Damon Salvatore in my life._

"May I cut in?" inquires a man with a smooth British accent.

"Klaus," Bonnie breathes, flinching as the memory of when they last met comes rushing back to her.

_There goes Caroline's goal of having a normal homecoming. _She straightens her posture, making sure that he doesn't see her fear. Fear is a witch's greatest weakness, like humanity and love is a vampire's. Klaus isn't getting the satisfaction of knowing that he makes her afraid. Bonnie isn't fragile and she sure as hell won't be playing damsel in distress any time soon.

"Well, aren't you two a spicy couple," he notes. _Nice of you to notice. _"I'm surprised, Damon. I never quite pegged you to be one who'd pursue such a…_witch._"

"What are you up to, Klaus? Or are you just here to kill everybody at a high school event? Which would be a new low—even for you," Damon chides with a glare of accusation.

"Now what makes you so sure I'm up to something?"

"Have you met you?" Bonnie mumbles sourly, pursing her lips. She folds her arms across her chest and collects a series of spells in her mind in case he _is _up to something. More circumstances than not, he is.

"Now, darling, I think you should treat me with a little more respect than that. After all, I might snap your neck if you aren't nice to me," he threatens, raising her chin with his finger.

"Stay the hell away from her and this town, or you'll have me to deal with," Damon says.

"Just as well. Until next time, then."

He glowers at Damon before speeding off. Klaus is so fucking creepy in the most unsettling way. He'll be polite and charming one moment and then ripping a heart out the next. _Add 'making an _I Hate Klaus _tee shirt' to your list of things to do._

* * *

><p>"You protected me back at the dance," Bonnie brings up once they're back at the Salvatore boarding house.<p>

Damon's room is normal, to Bonnie's disbelief. White sheets, polished cherry wood furniture, and several antiques lined up neatly. And the several empty glasses sitting around with bourbon sticking to the bottom. The last part is no surprise.

"I know I did. Klaus was making these dick moves and it annoyed me."

"Well, I can defend myself."

"I know that too. But I like protecting you." He simply shrugs because we all know that honesty and telling his feelings aren't his forte.

"Then I'll let you."

He smiles. A sincere, authentic smile, opposed to his usual smirks. It's kinda, sorta the most beautiful smile Bonnie's ever seen. Damon plants an innocent kiss on her forehead.

"Mmm…you smell nice," he whispers. Bonnie raises her eyebrows and responds with,

"Please be talking about my perfume, not my blood." He snickers. It drives Bonnie crazy. The way he smirks, the thing he does with his eyes, the list could go on and on for miles. Yet, it all does nothing but keep him on her mind.

"Well, I was talking about your perfume but now that you mention it…" Damon slyly trails his finger up her shoulder blade and holds her hair back, exposing the side of her neck. He very much prefers the smell of her intoxicating blood that is sweeter than sweetener itself, over her spritz of Fantasy by Britney Spears—the title seemed fitting. She slaps his hand off. "Now that was very unnecessary." He waves his finger at her as she shakes her head.

"It was too necessary," she corrects him. He moves closer to her until they're nanometers away from touching and his lips come in contact with hers once again. It's like their very first kiss, except more natural.

"I'd never…hurt you," he murmurs in the middle of their kiss, in a volume so soft that Bonnie barely catches the sentence. _Because we only tried to kill each other multiple times in the past,_ Bonnie thinks sarcastically and notices that she's smiling into the kiss. The way he expresses those four words is very light yet intense. The words themselves standing next to each other are a set so powerful it can change the world. Their lips part. Damon's reluctantly. She lies down next to him on his bed peacefully, and snuggles close to him. "Hey, Witchy. I like you."

Bonnie doesn't quite understand what she and Damon have. Magic? (She, for sure, has magic but those are speaking on technical terms.) It's not love. Not yet. It's not lust, either. They can survive without each other's touch for a day. This is more than an attraction, more than a typical romance you see all the time in movies. It's something Bonnie can't seem to put a label on. And lying in Damon's arms, she realizes that she doesn't need to put a label on it. She's fine with not putting a label on it. She doesn't need to understand what it is. She just knows that they have something absolutely indescribable together and that's all that is relevant.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there were a lot of cute Bamon scenes in this. And the appearance of Klaus. (Who will come back…) I obviously had fun writing this chapter. There's gonna be some drama coming up. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. I don't own Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5, Tonight by Enrique Iglesias, Domino by Jessie J, Friends, or Twilight by Stephenie Meyer either.**

***Reviews motivate me to update faster!***

**XOXO,**

**Alexis**


	6. Chapter 6: You're Such a Backstabber

**A/N: I know this update is late but I have my excuses in store! It's the end of the semester and there are a lot of finals going on, plus I've been having a severe case of writer's block. (Which might explain the quality of this chapter.) Furthermore, here's the latest chapter of 'Bonnie and Damon'. The title of this chapter kinda gives the chapter away…but anyway, please review if you love Bamon. Besides, it'll only take you thirty seconds to review. Chapter 5...Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Girl, You're Such a Backstabber!<p>

"_You have got yourself a set of loose lips._

_Twisting stories all because you're jealous._

_Now I know exactly what you're all about (and this is what you're all about!)_

_Girl! You're such a backstabber!_

_Oh girl, you're such a shit talker._

_And everybody knows it, everybody knows it."_

_Backstabber by Ke$ha_

* * *

><p>Stefan decides to organize a 'Stopping Klaus' meeting at the Salvatore boarding house. <em>Nothing new there, we've only had them about a million times. <em>Everyone makes an appearance but they end up standing around in silence, trading blank glances with one another. _It's pretty sad, if you think about it_. Damon sips his Bourbon, making small observations such as how Alaric stands in the corner with his serious face on; Elena drums her fingers on the table; Stefan strides back and forth with his arms crossed, as if he's trying to remember something that's at the tip of his tongue; Caroline chews pieces of her hair—_uh, __weird habit alert—,_ and Bonnie just zones out, staring far into space. _Some Scooby gang we are._

There's nothing to discuss. No one knows why Klaus is back, nor do they know his next move is going to be. It's a moon point, if people actually use that phrase. _They don't. _Nobody suspected Klaus to come back after his disappearance. And even if they did, they were just glad he was out of their lives and didn't want to think twice about it.

When Damon catches Bonnie's eye, she gives him a wave of hello. He returns the greeting with a slight lift of his drink. She giggles and that wouldn't be weird if it were Elena, but Bonnie doesn't _giggle _as she does _laugh._ Neither of them breaks the eye contact and they mouth a few words to each other here and there. It's like passing notes in secrecy. They keep this going up until Alaric clears his throat and says,

"What does Klaus want?"

"No one knows, that's the problem," Damon tells him dryly. _Their bromance is way underrated, _Bonnie notes and smiles as she envisions Caroline saying something along those words.

"So what are we supposed to do, how are we supposed to prepare when we don't know why he's back?" Elena questions in perplexity with a tense edge to her voice.

"We can start by extending your training lessons," Alaric offers as Elena exhales deeply. "And tell Jeremy to come with you. We need to be as prepared as we can." To Damon's own little surprise, Bonnie doesn't grimace at the mention of the younger Gilbert.

"And let's keep _you_," Damon's shoots a look in Stefan's direction as he puts a heavy emphasis on 'you', "**off** the people blood." _Gee, what gave you that brilliant idea? _Caroline can't help wondering. Instead, she settles for saying,

"Bunnies for the win!" She brings her hand up for Stefan to high-five who slowly follows through with Caroline's gesture. She can be a little odd at times, but she'll always be loyal and willing to go great lengths for a friend and supportive to no end.

"Anyway," Alaric drags out the word to make it last longer, "Klaus could come at us anywhere, anytime." _Thanks for the warning_, Bonnie thinks sardonically.

"And I'm practicing my magic. I'm stronger," _not as strong as Klaus_, "and with the right spell, I can kill him. If I summon enough power." Elena shakes her head and stands up out of her seat.

"Nope, no way, not happening. Bonnie, you already risked your life, you're not about to do it again. We don't even know what he wants! What if Klaus wants to call a truce?" Elena asks. _Because that's so likely to happen._

She puts her hands on her hips and Damon, Stefan, Bonnie, and Caroline can't help but notice how she looks like Katherine at the moment. _Other than how Elena is Katherine's doppelgänger and everything._

Caroline crosses over to where her friends are.

"Yeah, she's right, Bon. You're our best friend and we can't lose you." Her voice cracks at the end of her sentence as her turquoise eyes glimmer.

The three of them envelope each other in a big hug because that's what teenage girls do after a sweet-and-semi-corny line like that has been said by someone. Because even though they're the vampire, the doppelgänger, and the witch, they're still Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie. They're still best friends. Circumstances change and so do people but the most irreplaceable of friendships don't.

"If we could be less 90210 here, that'd be great." Of course Damon wants to cut the teen drama. Obviously. The girls separate as Caroline and Elena shoot annoyed glances at him and Bonnie sends him a look of caution. She's the only what that manages to keep him in line.

"The way I see it is that the best way we can increase our chances on defeating Klaus in whatever game he's trying to play is to ready ourselves," Stefan explains with pure simplicity. Alaric unfolds his arms in interest. "Elena keeps on training, Bonnie keeps on practicing, and we maintain a healthy diet. As in, uh, animal blood for me. Care, you interested?"

"I'll stick with the blood bags. I mean, squirrels are just **so **cute." _Fair enough. Blood bags and woodland creatures are a million times better than innocent humans, at least._

_Our lives are too complicated._

After the meeting is officially over, Damon ends up bringing Bonnie back to his room and they lie down on his bed. _Soft sheets, comfy pillow, and an senselessly attractive vampire. This is the life. _He's kissing her jawline and neck. Bonnie doesn't know if it's legal to kiss that well. _It probably isn't._

With Jeremy, it was good. 'It' sounds like sex but it really isn't because Bonnie hasn't slept with Damon. Anyway, with Jeremy, there was always a part of her that felt forced and uncomfortable and she was always so worried and tense. They cared and looked out for each other but it wasn't an actual…**romance**, a kind of romance you dream of having someday, where you need the other person like the air you breathe.

Bonnie is with Damon now and it's different. Probably not what other relationships are like. He doesn't swing his arm over her shoulders because that's not who he is. _If it was, that'd be beyond weird. _They don't have much small talk, and if they do, they only get as far as two sentences before either Damon or Bonnie puts in a sarcastic comment. He doesn't feed her compliments like candy, vice-versa. And if he does, it's usually inappropriate. There's a certain normalcy about them. _We're a kickass duo,_ Damon would say.

It's natural with Damon. He kind of makes Bonnie let go of all those worries. He knows she's capable of holding her own but he still likes to protect her because he's from 1864 and chivalry won't ever be completely dead to him. It's safe to say Bonnie likes him more than she wants to.

Damon pulls away. He looks confused, furrowing his brows and frowning.

"You don't seem so into it, Bon. Are you okay?" A concerned Damon is a cute Damon.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about some of the spells I've been working on." She gets that stomach-churning feeling inside of her that she always gets when she's not telling the truth. Bonnie knows he doesn't believe her but it's worth a try. She tries to shrug it off. It'd work on anyone except Damon isn't _anyone _and he's always suspicious and skeptical.

"You're lyyyinggg," he sing-songs as if broadcasting the most obvious thing in the world. _Eye roll. _"I know you too well." Bonnie's not sure whether to take this to offense or if he's being romantic or stalker-ish.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"You're so immature, you know that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Bonnie groans audibly. Damon laughs. An actual laugh, the kind regular people do. He's smiling at her. She's hardly ever sees him smile, much less laugh, and this is where she realizes that she makes him as happy as he makes her.

He goes back to kissing her.

Yep. She definitely likes him more than she wants to.

* * *

><p>"Where were you last night? I texted you but you didn't reply so I called your house phone. Nothing. Are you going AWOL on me?" Caroline dramatizes at the next day at school as she reaches Bonnie at her locker.<p>

Bonnie shakes her head and struggles to get her books out of her locker, when Elena comes over to them and helps Bonnie out. She mumbles an embarrassed 'thanks'. Elena examines her friend carefully, from head to toe.

"Is that my jacket?" she inquires.

"What? Oh, yeah. I couldn't find one this morning and Stefan told me I could borrow it," Bonnie says guiltily with a grin on her face.

"You spent the night at Damon's?" Caroline exclaims in disbelief, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. "No wonder you're smiling so widely—you look like you have a hanger in your mouth."

Ignoring Caroline's string of comments, Bonnie turns to Elena.

"You slept with Damon?" Elena questions, shifting in her spot.

"Sleep? Yes. Sex? No," Bonnie answers, glaring daggers at her enthusiastic, gossip-loving friend. Elena nods as Bonnie closes her locker and the three of them begin to walk down the hall to their science class.

"What do you guys think of having a dinner party?" Elena asks. _Thanks for the subject change, _Bonnie thinks kindly as she sighs in relief. _I love Caro but her grilling? No._

"Not bad, except we're not in our late twenties. Can't we cross out dinner and just…have a party?" Caroline being typical Caroline.

"It'll be fun. We'll be talking and having a good time. We could invite Tyler, too. Or Matt. And we could play Pictionary." Elena's only bringing this up because she knows that a good game of Pictionary is Caroline's weakness. "Besides, all of us need a night off. Well, at least I do."

* * *

><p>Bonnie enters the kitchen in the Gilbert household to see Elena opening a box of pasta, which is good because Elena really can't cook. <em>French toast, ramen noodles, and that's about the end of it. <em>Bonnie helps her out. She's taking out a set of porcelain plates from the cabinets, along with the silverware when Elena says,

"Thanks for helping me with this. I am definitely _**not **_the next Rachael Ray. I'm starting to think that Caroline's idea of having a party would be better." They both share a childish giggle over this. "How are you and Damon doing?" Elena starts on the Greek salad and misses the dissolving of Bonnie's smile.

"Great. He's…" her voice trails off. Her emerald eyes are looking far out in search for the right word. _Indescribable? No, that doesn't work. He's sarcastic and melodramatic. He's egotistic and irrational and a jealous fool. He's often and somewhat _still _the sadistic vampire that I harshly rejected at the '50s dance; that attacked me in the woods when I destroyed the necklace; that thanked me at the Founder's Day celebration. And I'm falling harder and harder for that sarcastic, melodramatic, egotistic, irrational, jealous vampire every day._ "He's Damon and I like him that way. Our first date sorta changed my entire perspective about him."

"Good answer," Elena smiles warmly as Bonnie shows one of her own. _Best friends forever. _"I'm glad you and Damon got together." Bonnie wonders what she means by that but decides not to read too much into it. Half the problems girls have these days are caused by trying to read something into things that don't mean anything. _Best friends forever…right._

* * *

><p>Now, to say it's awkward would be the understatement of the century. It runs anything <strong>but<strong> smoothly. Most of the meal is eaten in silence, and Damon and Bonnie _both hate the silence and they know that about each other._ Elena keeps glancing at Bonnie and Damon. Damon doesn't really mind; he's never been the type to. But Bonnie does and it makes her feel self-conscious, like she's wearing her shirt backwards or her eyeliner's all smudged but no one has the freaking decency to point it out. _Well, it's a good thing Damon brought tequila._ Matt decides to bring up a fairly open conversation.

"Where were you and Stefan when Caroline had her birthday party?" He asks this to Elena. She tears her eyes off of Damon who's been playing footsie with Bonnie under the table. _It's immature of him and Bonnie likes it too much. _Bonnie, evidently, wins because she's wearing heels.

"We were in Toronto. I saw Justin Kelly there."

"Cool." Matt nods his head though Elena's almost positive that he has no idea who Justin Kelly is.

Quiet hits the tension-filled air once again. Stefan, Elena, Damon, Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, and Matt just trade blank looks.

"So…uh…you and Damon, huh?" Tyler brings up, much to Elena's visible dismay. Bonnie pretends not to see it and steals a little sip from Damon's glass. "Who would've seen that coming?"

A question they've been asked too many times already.

"I don't know, I kinda saw it coming," Caroline pipes up. _And Tyler asked a rhetorical question. _"But I thought that if you two were to get together, it'd be because of a way different reason. Something like you getting wasted after a bad incident and running into Damon, who had a few drinks but wasn't drunk. Then, he'd comfort you. As best as he could, because, well, it's Damon. No offense. Basically, one thing would lead to another and you guys would have a one-night-stand. You'd regret it in the morning and he'd pretend to but would secretly be thinking about you. Be all like, _**"I have something important to tell you" **_and you'd be all like, _**"I don't have time for this." **_But then, he'd slam you against the wall and kiss would grow from there. Like, wouldn't that be really romantic? Oh, but the way you two actually got together is great."

Now everyone's staring at her, wondering where the hell she got that scenario from. _Ladies and gentlemen, Caroline Forbes: Miss Mystic Falls, powerful vampire, and quirky friend._

"I think it's great that you guys got together," Elena chimes in. _No one said otherwise. _

"Thanks," Bonnie replies. She takes another sip from Damon's glass, enjoying the piquant, strong scent of alcohol._ This is going to be a lonnggg night._

* * *

><p>Bonnie steps out onto the front porch to get some fresh air. The air inside is painfully thick with tension and even the most patient people in the world aren't able to stand it.<p>

Mystic Falls is a small town. On a silent night, you can hear the condensed footsteps of joggers, angry slam of car doors, and people at their driveway on the phone. It's nice, up until the point where it gets creepy. The truth is Mystic Falls can be a very nice place when it's not cluttered with tomb vampires from the 1800s and all that hellishness. But lately, nobody has had the chance to just stop for a minute and take it all in. Just _be. _

Bonnie blows out a mouthful of air and pushes her overgrown bangs out of her face. The chilly autumn breeze is greeting her and sends her gososebumps whenever it makes contact with her caramel-toned skin. _Hello, I'm here to make you feel cold. _The only noticeable sounds are the shaking of trees and the conversations occurring inside the house.

"What are you doing outside, Love?" _Not you again. _If only she had a nickel for every time an original vampire snuck up behind her…

Bonnie clenches her teeth and whips her head around. Being afraid is not an option to her—not when Klaus is around. As much as she hates to admit it, Klaus has made all of them about ten times stronger, ten times smarter. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. _Kelly Clarkson's got it right._

"I'm going to say this once and you are going to answer me this time. Answer me with the truth. What do you want with us?" Bonnie's voice is low and serious and her eyes are piercing with looks confident—and pissed off to no end—on the outside, though she's just an eighteen-year-old girl that wants to burst into tears in her room over all the traumatic experiences that have occurred since vampires came to town in the inside.

But this is her life now and she has to be happy with what she's got. If she doesn't serve her part as the strong-witch-protector, then who else is going to do it?These days, Bonnie just sits and wonders if all of this is ever going to be over. If all of this is ever going to be _history _that _will not _be repeating itself. If they're ever going to move on with their lives and get a chance to live as normal people.

_I'm a witch. My boyfriend's a vampire. My best friend is a vampire. My other best friend is a doppelganger of a vampire and is dating a vampire. Vampire, vampire, vampire…they have been around as ancient history can remember. If this shit blows over, it's definitely not gonna be happening any time soon._

"There's no need to be demanding, Miss Bennett. You know why I'm here." _I really don't._

"I **really** don't."

"Stefan took my family. I'm not looking to kill the Salvatore brothers or the Petrova doppelgänger or you or sweet, darling Caroline." He begins pacing slowly in circles around her, and she's terrified that he might snap her neck at any second. "The town is a different story. I will tear everybody apart, limb from limb. Possibly starting with Tyler. One useless hybrid o' mine. He's in there, correct?"

Katherine and Klaus are both villains but Katherine does it for that tiny ounce of her that cares. She plays games and she's like a cat. Plays with the claws out, can put on an innocent façade, likes things in return. Klaus isn't that type. He hates. He threatens. He kills.

"Leave Tyler and Mystic Falls alone. It's _not _fair," Bonnie insists, straightening her shoulders to stand taller. She's chosen the wrong day to wear flats.

"If life was fair, my family would be reunited." She swivels around to face him. Bonnie doesn't know what's worse—being closer to a killer or being further away from one.

"You leave me and the people I care about alone."

"Right, right. Now, is it you and the elder Salvatore brother now? Damon? How's that going—a witch and a vampire. Now that's quite an interesting duo…" he starts to ramble on and on about love. How you end up loving nobody but yourself and all that. He's almost like a whiny chick going over a crappy breakup, but he's talking more proper and bitter and his experiences vary from the tenth century up to the late 1920s. _Shut up, please. _After a minute or two, he pauses and glances over at her. "It's quite rude to not listen."

_Because __**you **__are the right person to be playing the morality police with me. Damn, I'm starting to sound like Damon._

"I'm aware of that."

"I'd be nicer to me, if I was you. I will not hesitate to hurt others, _Bonnie._" He laces Bonnie's own name with venom and makes it sound like a deadly word. Instead of nodding—which she should do because she's a good girl—, she sucks up her fear and responds,

"_And I will not hesitate to hurt you."_

"We know how it went last time, Miss Bennett. You can try, but you will not be successful. You cannot kill me."

With a twisted smile, he vanishes. Bonnie sits on the front porch, sighing, and murmurs,

"Another try never does too much harm."

* * *

><p>Jealousy. It's an ugly color on everyone, no matter who you are and how beautiful you are. Now being jealous isn't a healthy thing, but it's definitely not a quality you can tame easily. Betrayal. The word itself practically screams out hazardous. This word is associated with loyalty, which is as easy to through away as it is to break a nail, and as hard to get over as it is for an agoraphobic to step out into a large field. Not. Good.<p>

"Hey," Elena says to Damon as she puts the dishes away one by one into the dishwasher. "Where's Bonnie?"

"No idea," he clicks the roof of his mouth with his tongue. Elena rolls her eyes as she continues to stack the porcelain dishes into the dishwasher rack.

He helps her out and closes the dishwasher while Elena dries off her hands. She pours herself a cup of water, her long brunette hair flowing against her back as she does so. Elena is beautiful, much like Katherine, with her chocolate brown eyes and olive skin and oval-shaped face. Her appearance drew him to her in the first place, and he saw all these qualities in Elena that he found in Katherine (which, evidently, Stefan didn't see). But Katherine repulses him in every way possible now. _Manipulative bitch. _And Bonnie is Bonnie and Bonnie defeats beauty. All day, every day.

"I remember how you helped me out with the dishes last year at the get-together. That was back when you were…_with _Caroline—if that's the right word—and I didn't know about vampires. It was so simple back then," Elena brings up as she takes a big gulp out of her water and sets it back down on the kitchen counter. "I was miserable that my parents had died and that Jeremy was so messed up. But throughout the last year, it's gotten so much worse. I met my birth mother who turned out to be a cold-hearted vampire. Jenna got killed. Caroline got turned and Bonnie risked herself for me. Klaus compelled Stefan and he finally came back. It's **surreal.** It's all surreal."

"At least we survived. Take it from me. Strange is bad, dead is worse." Elena chuckles at his blunt sense of humor and crosses back over to him.

"Thank you," she tells him sincerely, "for helping us through everything. That's the Damon who's my friend."

She entwines her fingers gingerly through his. Truth be told, she has no clue as to what she's doing or what she's going to do. She slowly glances up, as if it'll physically hurt her to gaze into his eyes, which has an unsure look flashing through them. Elena leans in closer and closer to him. NO!

She can't stop herself but she's terrified of hurting the ones she loves. If she follows through with whatever it is that she's thinking of doing right now, not only will Stefan never forgive her, _Bonnie _will never forgive her.

And it's certainly not worth losing Stefan and Bonnie…_is it?_

"Elena…" his voice trails off, about to mention his relationship with Bonnie. He's about to step away from his brother's girl but he's too late.

She slams her lips onto his without a second thought.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And…scene! So how was it? There was some Klonnie thrown in there just 'cuz they're not that bad of a couple (though I prefer Klaroline) and a tad bit of Delena (no, no, no!) and some Steroline friendship (YES!). What do you guys think?**

**Reviews make me ridiculously happy so please review Bamon-shippers!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or Backstabber by Ke$ha.**

**XOXO,**

**Alexis**


	7. Chapter 7: Can't Help Myself

**A/N: Long time, no update. *Sends a billion apologies*. This might have some mistakes because I'm rushing to post this...and I know Elena's annoying you, she's annoying me too but I want this story to be as realistic as possible and I feel that Elena's jealousy would get in the way of Bonnie and Damon's relationship when it happens in the show. Looking back through the chapters, I've realized how rushed the development and build between Damon and Bonnie became and I originally planned a slower development but I'm an impatient person and I'm sorry for that. Anyway, here's Chapter 7!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Can't Help Myself<p>

"_Sometimes I wake up by the door,_

_Now that you've gone, _

_Must be waiting for you._

_Even now when it's already over,_

_I can't help myself from looking for you…_

_I set fire to the rain_

_Watched it pour as I touched your face._

_Let it burn while I cried 'cuz I heard it screaming out your name, your name…"_

_Set Fire to the Rain by Adele_

* * *

><p>She's kissing him. He's kissing her. For a second, at least. She takes a step back. One step, two steps, three steps. It's the classic 'What-Have-I-Just-Done' moment where you don't know what to say and you're standing there looking flabbergasted and completely and utterly shocked at your recent actions and you're trying to blame someone else but you <em>can't. <em>Damon's every bit as surprised as Elena, except he's got a way of hiding it. Because that's what he does. And there's a little anger burning inside of him towards her, which is given. The first thing that pops into his head is: _what the fuck did Elena do? _Then, there's: _Stefan is gonna beat the shit out of me. _And lastly: _Bonnie… _

Bonnie is like Damon in the strangest ways. She's unpredictable, she's threatening, she's **strong, **and she's powerful. He doesn't know if she'll set him on fire or if that's just an everyday thing. _It probably is. _Maybe she'll cry but he doubts it. Elena might possibly receive the biggest slap in the face or a _"You're my best friend, how could you do this to me?"_ which is cliché but likely.

But the only thing he doesn't want is for Bonnie to walk away. Because he can't watch her walk away, it just might be physically impossible.

"I...didn't mean to..." Elena stammers out in a pathetic attempt at an excuse.

She regrets it so much. But at the same time, she _**so doesn't. **_Her regret is mixed in with guilt because she can't even imagine Stefan and Bonnie's faces when they find out. She wants to cry but she _won't _because she doesn't cry like that anymore.

Damon speeds over to her, shoving her against the wall and trapping her by having his arms on either side of her.

"The hell you didn't!" Elena pushes Damon harshly off of her. "Bonnie can't know about this."

"I have to tell her sometime."

"You're not gonna tell her."

"Compel me not to, then. Threaten me or go ahead and hurt everyone here but one way or another, they will find out," Elena tells him matter-of-factly. Trying to negotiate a deal is something Katherine does._ That awkward moment where the doppelgänger resembles her bitchy vampire ancestor._ "I initiated it, I'll take the blame. I feel guilty that they don't know. Bonnie is my best friend and I can't live without Stefan. They'll forgive us, Damon. Believe that. _It was never supposed to happen._"

"And as far as Bonnie and Stefan will ever know, _it never did._"

Elena's surprised. He's being harsh and demanding and being so_** Damon**_ towards her, and the last time he was truly like that was…well, who can think that far back? It seems like he's been obsessed with her for too long. And right now, he doesn't give a shit that Elena said that the recent kiss was an accident.

Is she glad or frustrated or screwed up? _Screwed up. _

She doesn't want to feel this way about Damon, because no one can have their cake and eat it too. Unless…maybe the person is a really rich person or a baker or Angelina Jolie, but that's the end of it. She wants to be happy for Bonnie because she deserves a guy who feels so deeply about her. Elena wants to be the good girl and only love Stefan. Stefan will always be the one for her at the end of the day, but nobody's guaranteed who it'll be for her _during _the day. Maybe that someone is Damon. _It can't be. I only want him because he's taken. God, I'm going all One Direction._

* * *

><p>Elena doesn't have the energy to argue with him. Arguing with Damon is like trying to explain something to a wall. She nods.<p>

Damon is a pretty good actor. He could win an Oscar if he bothered to. So he acts like things are fine for the rest of the night, especially on the car ride home with Bonnie, who's still shaken and a bit caught off guard after the Klaus run-in.

"Want me to walk you inside?" Damon asks. _He's playing that role of the teenage boy on a date. _Bonnie tries to smooth out the inexistent wrinkles on her ruffled, wine-colored dress and replies,

"I think I'm capable of going into my house by myself, but thank you anyway." She swallows and forces out a smile—there's really nothing like seeing your 'favorite' villain vampire to make your evening. _Nope. Nothing like it._

"Always the feminist," he mumbles under his breath. She looks slightly bothered, slightly challenged. He shouldn't try to read anything into it, but he's Damon and he always does anyway. "Something's different about you."

"Well, it was just a really long night," Bonnie starts, trying to be self-explanatory. He doesn't buy it. He never buys it. He's smart (if not annoying) like that. "Matt and Tyler were both trying to win over Caroline and Alaric's date was really critical and Elena was acting really awkward." _Not a lie. _"Oh, and Klaus showed up."

"I know, Ric's girl was a total bitc—wait, _what_?"

"Yeah, Ric's date was being all snobby and said my earrings were cheap-looking," Bonnie adds a scoff at the end in an attempt to distract him.

"Klaus had the nerve to show up?" _Why wouldn't he?_ "What'd he say?"

"Nothing important. Just that we should watch out. That he might destroy our town if we're not careful." Damon rolls his eyes. He's most likely cursing Klaus' name in his mind over and over again. "He's out to get Mystic Falls because we destroyed what was left of his family."

He doesn't talk for a really long time. That never means anything good.

"I'm…gonna call Ric," he decides after a while. She exits his blue Camaro and begins to walk to her front porch when she hears his voice again. "Stay safe."

She swivels around.

"I will if you will." He smirks.

* * *

><p>Damon's just sitting there, listening to Ric as he rambles on and on about some hybrid shit that he could honestly not care less about. It's a good idea to be listening but then again, it's a good idea to keep your eyes on the road while you're driving but he doesn't do <strong>that <strong>either. Damon's pale blue eyes stray away from the half-filled cup of scotch resting on the table and over to Bonnie, who's told the gang everything Klaus had said to her the night before. Bonnie, the girl who was once so innocent and _good. _He blames himself for screwing that up—if he never came to Mystic Falls in the first place…

Now this is saying _a lot _considering Damon doesn't prove that he's the one to blame. Ever.

As much as he hates to admit it, they will find out eventually about what happened—so the doppelgänger was right. Wow, confessing that he's guilty _and _wrong? Big day for him. He's more amused by this than any of Alaric's poor jokes in trying to lighten up the dark, tension-filled atmosphere.

Damon could easily be worried about the fight coming up. That Klaus and his hybrids will win and kill them all. Minus Elena, of course. And possibly Caroline because Klaus definitely has a thing—a soft side, like diamond-jewelry-intricate-ball-gown-romantic-drawing-giving soft—for Vampire Barbie. He could be stressing over how Elena could blurt out about their kiss at any second. How Stefan might plunge a stake through him and Bonnie might help him do so by bringing him down on all fours. Since when was cheating on someone have such deadly consequences?

"Are you listening?" Caroline cuts in with an irritated look.

"Damon, Klaus is going to be one step ahead of us. The least we can do is come up with a plan," Stefan says firmly with his serious vampire look. _Because we always follow through with our plans and never pull the plug on them._

"I've been doing some research," Alaric brings up and pulls out a photo from a folder. "This is one of the drawings from the cave that we must've missed. It reads that…" Pause for dramatic effect. "That another white oak tree took the original one's place three hundred years after it burned down."

Everybody straightens up their posture a little, intrigued by this new-found information. A mischievous look crosses Stefan's eyes. A glint of hope in Elena's. Doubt in Bonnie's.

"So it's that easy, then?" Caroline inquires with her arms crossed, reading Bonnie's mind like an open book. "Carve the stake, drive it through his heart, and then, KAPOW! He's dead? It's all over? It seems…"

"Too good to be true," Bonnie fills in.

_ Point._

"When good things happen in life, you don't question it," Damon says like it's his mantra, next to 'There's no such thing as a bad plan, just poorly-executed awesome ones'. He takes a sip of his drink looking all victorious, when Stefan cuts in and rains on his parade. _Classic sibling stuff, _Bonnie observes while chewing absentmindedly at her pinky nail.

"They're right; it's not going to be that easy. Klaus always finds a way to make it difficult—we know that." Damon shoots him a glare. Stefan ignores it. Same old, same old. Stefan turns to Alaric who has his history-teacher face on. "Does Klaus know of any of this?"

A second of waiting for the reply passes. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four seconds…

"Maybe." _If we're wishfully thinking here. _"We need a plan."

Those are four words Bonnie is sick and tired of hearing. A part of her wants to drop all of this supernatural stuff, the way Matt did, and be a normal teenager again. But that's just insanity speaking because when has she _ever _been normal? As a little girl, when she had no control over her powers, she used to cause lights to go out or make the wind pick up speed. Now, she can help people—as easily as she can hurt them—and her magic is put to good use. But nothing changes how she wants to be normal and just worry about a chemistry exam for once. It's sounding fantastic to her right now.

She's come to the terms that she's a witch and that she has an important role in killing the Original hybrid. That's what witches are—servants of nature. The vampires in the first place were an abomination to the balance of life and nature, itself, and adding onto it is Klaus. A werewolf. A vampire. An immortal. It's her job to end him once and for all.

"I've been looking," Bonnie begins, standing up and out of her seat and fishing her heavy grimoire out of her leather bag. "There's a spell. It can take out a vampire for a few minutes. But there are restraints, judging by the circumstances."

The room grows silent. It's almost frightening. An electric vibe rushes through the atmosphere as the hope inside them increases. Bonnie has no problem with knowing what she's capable of. This could work. As long as Klaus doesn't do anything to fuck them over.

"What's the spell?" Elena inquires, crossing over to where Bonnie is laying out the grimoire on the table.

"It's like a basic immobilization spell, just with a few twists." _Twists are only good in books, not reality, _Elena thinks in dismay but doesn't dare let her disappointment seep through. "This spell was made for the basic vampire, so it just needed Devil's Bane—vervain—and vampire blood. Klaus is an Original…and a hybrid. We're going to need wolfsbane and vervain, along with hybrid blood and," she sucks in a deep breath, "the blood of an Original." _Which is a given._

More minutes pass on by before anyone says anything else. The spell is brilliant. It's miraculous. Overall, it's risky.

"…And it'll take him down long enough for one of us to drive the stake through his heart," Stefan carefully chooses his words, trying to wrap this idea around his head.

Bonnie nods.

"I say we go with it," Caroline pipes up.

"All the Originals are dead." This time around it's Elena.

"Neutralized," Alaric corrects.

"They're in the old witch house, right?" Elena turns to Stefan.

"In their coffins with the witches hiding them from Klaus."

"Which one do we undagger?"

"Rebekah," Damon offers, putting his two cents into the string of remarks. Elena shudders and Caroline scowls and they reply simultaneously,

"She'll snap my neck for stabbing her in the back, Damon."

"Rebekah is not the glam-black eyeliner from MAC, she is so not something to bring back. Rebekah is an evil blood slut who'll only play with Matt's heart—figuratively and literally." Caroline pouts and knocks on the wood of a nearby bookcase.

"Elijah," Elena states firmly. Damon looks at her skeptically like she's trying to convince them that the sun revolves around the earth. "He's a man of his word."

"He_ is_ loyal and moral," Bonnie adds. Damon spreads his arms in a 'What the Hell' manner but she just shrugs it off.

"Has a reason to get back at Klaus," Stefan draws attention to this fact.

"And he has cool hair," Caroline finishes off.

"We're undaggering Elijah?" Elena questions, to be sure.

"We're undaggering Elijah," Stefan confirms, pulling her into his arms.

Elena feels herself breaking into tiny pieces like a porcelain vase hitting her hardwood floor as she returns Stefan's embrace. She's being eaten away by the guilt and her conscience that's screaming at her right now to tell Bonnie and Stefan the truth and try to take back what she did. Except she can't take it back. _Do I regret it or not? Both. Can I have both? I want both._

And something inside of her knows that 'both' doesn't entirely mean regretting it and not regretting it right now.

* * *

><p>Elena and Bonnie are over at Caroline's place, trying to relieve all that stress that they'd much rather throw away forever. They're recently removed their face masks and are onto just hanging out and listening to music. Doing normal girl stuff. Doing just about anything <em>but <em>talking about the days ahead of them.

"Did you ever realize how much better Lily Collins looks on this month's cover than she did in _Abduction_?" Caroline brings up, waving the magazine in front of their faces.

"She looked prettier in _Abduction_," Elena protests, taking a good look at the issue of _Seventeen _that Caroline was previously holding.

"Only 'cuz she was standing next to Taylor freakin' Launter. Everyone looks good next to Taylor."

"What is with you and Taylor Launter?" Bonnie wonders out loud. _Or is there something she has with werewolves. _She bites back the last comment, not wanting to open up a box that should stay closed.

"Well, I'd love to discuss gorgeous actors all night but I'm gonna call the pizza place, considering we've been waiting over thirty minutes for something that I just realized we never ordered," Caroline announces. The three of them burst into laughter and Bonnie's thinking that Klaus can go screw himself. The blonde vampire lifts herself up and heads to the kitchen.

Bonnie takes the Seventeen magazine that they were rummaging through before and ends up flipping through the pages randomly until she feels her phone vibrating in the pocket of her pajama pants. The screen reads Older, Sexy, Danger Guy (she tried to keep it as _Damon_ but it kept 'mysteriously' changing) and she smiles shortly before picking up the other end of the call.

"Missed me?" He's so obnoxious.

"Yep, I missed you sooo much, Damon. It's been total torture not being able to see your face for over two hours." She rolls her eyes and she's almost positive that he can see her doing so.

"…I knew it." _Urgh._

Elena takes this as her cue to leave the room, feeling an overwhelming amount of discomfort while listening to their conversation, and decides to see what's taking Caroline so long. She shouldn't feel this guilt-ridden about the kiss, but if she could take back the previous night and all the events that had to do with it, she's almost positive she would. The 'almost' in there terrifies her. She is _not _Katherine. _It's one brother or none—and I love Stefan._

"So why exactly _are _you calling me?" she asks, noticing that the room is now sans Elena.

"I missed hearing your voice, Judgey." She visualizes him pouting.

"The real reason?"

"Okay, so you seemed a little off back at the boarding house and I was a little worried about you, same difference," he replies, being his usual self and adding a trace of sarcasm behind sincere words.

"I'm fine. Just a bit nervous about everything. It's no big deal."

She's not sure if it's the truth or not, because her mind is everywhere lately. She doesn't know if the immobilization spell will work. It's a big spell and it's only been a year since she's discovered her powers—there are still repercussions to using too much magic. Nose bleeds. Unconsciousness. Nature's way of telling her to slow it down…like a heart-attack to a human. But they've lessened and she's tougher now. _If anyone can do this, it's me._

"I thought we were passed this pretending-to-be-okay stuff," he quips. Bonnie can hear something being set down and she assumes that he's fixing himself a drink, which is pretty much classified as one of his five hobbies—drinking alcohol, drinking from blood bags, making fun of Stefan, making smartass comments, and re-reading Anne Rice novels.

"Damon, I'm not pretending." _I am a little. _She purses her lips, as if to prove to herself that things will be all right.

"Sure you are—I can tell when you're lying."

"Is that a vampire thing?"

"It's a boyfriend thing." It's always weird when Damon takes on the role of the sweet guy. "Look, it's pretty simple. Klaus isn't going to win this one."

"I…hope you're right." That's as much as she can give him.

"When am I not right?" There's a pause. "Don't answer that."

* * *

><p>Elena makes her way downstairs and into the kitchen, where Caroline is frantically searching through the menu for the pizza place.<p>

"Hey, what's taking so long?"

"This is impossible," Caroline over-dramatically sighs, "Bonnie likes olives and green bell peppers on her pizza. But you like mushrooms and I like pepperoni and extra cheese. Aaaand there took the 'Build Your Own Pizza' off the menu. THERE'S NO WAY TO WIN!" She huffs and throws the menu away.

"Why don't you just split the pizza three ways?" Elena asks slowly, stretching out the words to make them last longer.

A beat.

"_Why don't I do that?_ I swear you're like a genius sometimes." She reaches for the menu again and begins to dial the number on the telephone.

"Really, because I'm feeling pretty stupid right now," she mumbles underneath her breath. She shifts her weight onto the support of the sink and counter. "I…I did something bad last night." Elena taps her fingers on the countertop anxiously. Caroline turns to her, intrigued. "I kissed Damon." She lowers her lids to prevent herself from seeing the shocked expression on Caroline's face.

It takes a moment or two before Caroline picks her jaw off the floor. Along with the menu and the phone. _What is with girls and kissing Damon? _Elena chews on her lower lip, being careful not to draw blood in front of her vampire friend.

"You kissed Damon?" she hisses. Elena places a hand on her forehead to possibly relieve the headache that might be overcoming her, and runs that hand through her silky hair. "How could you do that to Bonnie? Y'know, Bonnie? Your best friend!" Elena quiets her down, because the subject in question _is _still upstairs.

"I wasn't thinking straight," she stammers, avoiding Caroline's judging eyes at all costs.

"Were you drunk?"

"…No," Elena admits, staring down at the floor and at her bare feet. She raises her head and continues on. "Look, I never meant to hurt Bonnie _or _Stefan. It's the last thing I wanted to do but…I don't know."

"Do you…have feelings for Damon?"

It's a question Elena's been asking herself for too long. And every single time she asks herself that, she answers with the simple, 'I Don't Know' and she **doesn't **know what to feel. One of these days, 'I Don't Know' won't cut it.

"I have no idea how I feel about any of this. I love Stefan…so much. But I'm attracted to Damon…or maybe I just care for him…I don't know! I want Bonnie to be happy so much and Damon makes her happy—I don't wanna be the one to ruin that," Elena sputters, as if she's writing in her diary like she has the biggest temptation to do so at this instant.

Caroline shakes her head.

"You have to tell Stefan and Bonnie. They should know the truth. They deserve so much more than to be treated like this, Elena." Her mouth falls open but nothing comes out.

It's been a long, long time since Caroline's told her off like this.

"It…isn't my place to tell Bonnie that Damon and I kissed." It's a pathetic excuse but Elena believes it. She's not afraid of their reaction, but what it'll do to her relationships with them in the future.

"Then tell Stefan. If you don't tell him, I will!" she exclaims.

This time, it's Elena to shake her head.

"I'm scared to break his heart because I love him. Don't tell him. You're my friend, Caroline," she pleads, pulling out any card she has left in her sleeve to convince her. _Stefan isn't finding out from anyone but her._

"I am your friend, Elena. But I'm also Stefan's friend and I'm sorry, but if you don't tell him soon, I'm going to have to do it for you."

Elena stands there in surprise, wondering when the day came here her best friend since kindergarten chose Stefan over her. Maybe, since her transition, they became good friends. But with friends come secrets, because they're just one more person to hide from.

"I'll tell him soon."

Bonnie stands outside, leaning against the wall that divides the entry way from the kitchen, tears threatening to spill out of her mint-colored eyes. What she heard can't be true. Elena would never, ever do something like that to her. But it is true. What's done is already done, as her Grams would tell her when she was younger.

Caroline pauses. She holds her index finger up, indicating to hold the conversation for a second. Elena tilts her head to the side a little.

"What is it?"

"I think Bonnie is downstairs. I can't tell, I've been drinking animal blood some days—whenever I accompany Stefan on hunting trips—and human blood the next to stay stronger. The constant mix has got my senses all screwed up." Caroline waves her hands frantically in the air to emphasize her point. She makes a mental note to herself to drink from blood bags before joining Stefan on the hunts, and making sure not to feed from the squirrels with him.

To be safe, Bonnie stomps her shoes on the ground several times to imitate the sound of walking step by step before she enters the kitchen.

"So what's taking so long with the pizza?" _Got distracted kissing Damon? _Bonnie plasters a fake smile on her face. Damon, her boyfriend, and Elena, her best friend...kissing...

_A__re you fucking kidding me?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Now Bonnie found out—but did Elena really expect a smart girl like Bonnie to **_**not **_**find out? Please. So, a lot of things are gonna go down and there's gonna be a lot of drama in the next chapter...kinda to make up for this sucky one.**

***Reviews motivate me to update faster!***

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. All rights go to The CW and LJ Smith. I do not own Set Fire to the Rain by Adele.**

**XOXO,**

**Alexis**


	8. Chapter 8: How Strong Do You Think I Am

**Author's Note: Wow, okay. Long time, no see huh? I rewrote this chapter three or four times, to be honest, and I had to separate this chapter into two parts. But here it is! This will be mostly the action part, asjfgksfjdkfl; but I hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of their characters. All rights go to the CW and Julie Plec/Kevin Williamson. I also do not own the song How Strong Do You Think I Am by Alexz Johnson.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Previously:<strong>_

"_I'm scared to break his heart because I love him. Don't tell him. You're my friend, Caroline," she pleads, pulling out any card she has left in her sleeve to convince her. _Stefan isn't finding out from anyone but her.

_ "I am your friend, Elena. But I'm also Stefan's friend and I'm sorry, but if you don't tell him soon, I'm going to have to do it for you."_

_ Elena stands there in surprise, wondering when the day came here her best friend since kindergarten chose Stefan over her. Maybe, since her transition, they became good friends. But with friends come secrets, because they're just one more person to hide from._

_ "I'll tell him soon."_

_ Bonnie stands outside, leaning against the wall that divides the entry way from the kitchen, tears threatening to spill out of her mint-colored eyes. What she heard can't be true. Elena would never, ever do something like that to her. But it is true. What's done is already done, as her Grams would tell her when she was younger._

_ Caroline pauses. She holds her index finger up, indicating to hold the conversation for a second. Elena tilts her head to the side a little._

_ "What is it?"_

_ "I think Bonnie is downstairs. I can't tell, I've been drinking animal blood some days—whenever I accompany Stefan on hunting trips—and human blood the next to stay stronger. The constant mix has got my senses all screwed up." Caroline waves her hands frantically in the air to emphasize her point. She makes a mental note to herself to drink from blood bags before joining Stefan on the hunts, and making sure not to feed from the squirrels with him._

_ To be safe, Bonnie stomps her shoes on the ground several times to imitate the sound of walking step by step before she enters the kitchen._

_ "So what's taking so long with the pizza?" _Got distracted kissing Damon?_ Bonnie plasters a fake smile on her face. Damon, her boyfriend, and Elena, her best friend…kissing…_

Are you fucking kidding me?

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: If I Don't Cry, Do You Think I Don't Feel<p>

"_If I don't cry, do you think I don't feel?_

_And if I look away, doesn't mean I don't see._

_And just because I want someone when I'm alone,_

_Doesn't mean I'm helpless; that I can't stand on my own."_

_Alexz Johnson, "How Strong Do You Think I Am?"_

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Elena says nervously while catching up to Bonnie in the hallway. "Can I borrow your history notes?"<p>

_No, Elena, as a matter of fact, you cannot borrow my history notes _or _my boyfriend._ "Sure," Bonnie replies through her gritted teeth. "I'll give them to you in class."

Elena knits her eyebrows together in confusion, noting Bonnie's bitter and slightly rude tone. "Are you okay?" she asks suspiciously.

Bonnie forces out a reassuring smile. "Of course." She sees Elena looking concerned. "I've just had a bad day." _Or a bad life._

"Oh," is the response she gets. _Oh. _"Well, Stefan and I are going to the old witches' house later to undagger Elijah. And I'm pretty sure that Ric and Damon are making the white oak stakes right now. And Caroline's gonna get the hybrid blood." _Can we please go one minute without talking about all this supernatural stuff?_

"Great." And with that, Bonnie continues to walk to history class.

* * *

><p>Silence is filling the room as Alaric cuts the wood with his electric saw and Damon sculpts the ones that are already cut. Carving stakes is a harder job than he had expected it to be. For a while, the only noises made are the buzzing of the mechanical tool and the scraping of wood. Damon thinks it's simpler that way. <em>People should talk less. <em>As long as Damon's not killing or being a dick, Alaric thinks anything is pretty much okay. _Befriending a sadistic vampire lowered your standards, _he thinks to himself.

Damon is working on the third stake—one for everybody—when Alaric says, "So what's the deal between you and Bonnie?" Damon shaves off more layers of wood with his knife.

"Don't know what you're talking about, Ric."

A beat. "Come on, Damon, something's been pretty strange lately between you two. You've been distant."

He scoffs, shaking his head dismissively and wondering when they're going to finish carving out the damn stakes because right now, he needs a drink from the Mystic Grill. Stat.

"Whatever you say," Damon replies as he continues to carve out the stake.

"So you're just going to ignore me, then. Ha. Okay."

"Since when was my relationship with the witch any of your business?"

Alaric shakes his head. "Fine, let's just get this this done, and maybe grab something to drink at the Grill afterwards."

_ You read my mind, _Damon thinks with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Stefan walks alongside Elena on the way to the old witches' house. She seemed cold, so he lent her his leather jacket, which is fairly too big for her small frame but it'll do. They walk quietly, but it's not a bad kind of quiet. He likes it, and he knows for a fact that Elena likes it as well.<p>

Once they reach the house, Stefan leads the way down to the basement and Elena follows him. The sunlight shines from all the windows. She swallows the lump stuck in her throat.

"So which one is Elijah in?" she asks.

"Guess we'll have to find out."

And with that, he goes up to the first coffin and manages to lift it up, using both hands. Inside, lays the blonde vampire in the same red chiffon dress she was wearing the night before homecoming, when Elena neutralized her.

Elena peers in closer. "Rebekah," she states bluntly.

Stefan closes the casket and moves onto the next one. They're successful this time, as they find Elijah inside, with a dagger in his chest. Memories wash over him. Memories of the night where Elijah got daggered by Klaus. When he had to save his brother from the werewolf bite, and was forced to drink human blood—forced to let the darkest side of him come out.

Elena puts a comforting hand on his arm, before stepping forward and wrapping both hands around the dagger and using all her strength to pull it out. And then there's a loud gasp for breath from Elijah.

* * *

><p>"Guess what I got," Caroline chimes while walking into the boarding house. She pulls a small vial, about the size of a perfume sample, filled with a dark red liquid out of her purse and waves it around. "Tyler was ready to do anything to break the sire bond." She hands the bottle to Bonnie. "How's your witchy-magic-Klaus-killing spell going?"<p>

"I just need Elena and Stefan to bring me Elijah's blood and then we'll be good to go," Bonnie tells her.

As if on cue, the door opens again and Elena and Stefan walk into the boarding house, and a few footsteps behind them is Elijah in a crisply tailored suit. _Like he was never gone, _Bonnie notes, impressed.

"Elijah," Bonnie states. "Nice to have you back." She purses her lips.

"Nice to be back."

"And you know what you're here for, right?"

"Elena filled me in on everything."

"Are you willing to do it?"

"Yes, I am. And this time, I'll do whatever it is I have to do to take Niklaus down." He speaks with such confidence and a buried hatred towards his brother, which reminds Bonnie of Damon. "I give you my word."

Bonnie raises an eyebrow. "Last time you gave us your word, you turned your back on us."

"But it won't happen this time." _It sure as hell better not._

She purses her lips and takes his words into deep consideration. _Elijah is the best that they're going to get. _"Then let's get started," Bonnie replies firmly, taking a dagger off the table along with another small vial.

* * *

><p>Jeremy and Elena skillfully shoot Klaus' hybrids in the back with vervain arrows, which stops them for a while. Alaric stakes the ones that cross his path. Stefan and Caroline finish them off. Caroline hates getting blood on her shirt—<em>YXL sweater, bitches!—<em>but she loves the thrill of being faster and stronger than the newly-made hybrids. It is sheer proof that she's **not **girly little Caroline anymore. That she died and turned for the better. It makes her feel powerful and she likes it. She speeds through the field effortlessly, hitting and ripping out hearts, even though heart-extraction is _so _Elijah's thing. It's kinda refreshing. Exhilarating. But to Stefan, it's just what has to be done.

Damon twists the white oak stake clutched in his hand.

"Sure you're up for this, Witch?" he asks as Bonnie watches the hybrids fall to the ground. She sucks in a deep breath and nods her head. "It's not too late to back out." _Sure._

"This isn't the decades dance, Damon. I'm stronger and more experienced now and I can take him on," she insists firmly, not losing a beat. "I can take him down. You know the plan." _It might not be the '60s dance again but it sure as hell seems similar to it. Too similar. And we both know how that night ended up…_

"You do your witchy juju and I drive this," he rotates the stake in his hand for emphasis, "through his heart." He has his trademark smirk on his face. He pushes her loose, dark curls out of hers and captures her lips into a kiss. She doesn't return it. He pulls away and furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Everything okay?"

_ Well, let's recap, shall we? You kissed my best friend—the one you've been obsessed with for the past year and is currently dating your once-estranged brother—and you don't know that I know about your latest scandal. Now, we're all prepared to kill an invincible Original vampire-werewolf that could easily kill _us _first. So, yeah. I'm peachy, thanks for asking._

"I'm fine. Just, uh, a little nervous," she lies, stepping away from him as she feels her stomach churn. Bonnie can't look at him without knowing what he's done.

A figure approaches out of the dark_._

Klaus.

Bonnie feels chills up her spine, but ignores it. Now is especially not the time for fear—it can destroy their entire plan within a second. Plans get ruined far too often in Mystic Falls.

"Impressive work," Klaus says, examining his once-faithful, sired hybrids dead and lying across the ground. It's like a post-war scene. _Ewh. _"The more hybrids you kill, the more I'll have to make." His eyes directly go to Elena.

By now, Bonnie is done with playing nice. This is it, this is the last straw—God, that sounds cliché. She is** sick** of Klaus. She's sick of pretending to not know anything about what's going on between Damon and Elena. _And, dammit, she's fucking pissed off at them for trying to scrape by all nonchalant._ She is sick of acting like Miss Innocent. With the overuse of magic, she's sick in general. She's left the innocent Bonnie back when she was seventeen, but every belief she had back then has changed.

"Step back," Bonnie mutters to Damon. With a whisper of a few Latin words, she creates a ring of fire around an infuriated Klaus. The reddish-orange flames encircle the dangerous Original vampire.

She concentrates herself and focuses on giving Klaus an aneurysm. Something to hurt him before killing him all together.

And that's when Damon falls to the ground, wincing and groaning loudly in pain. _What's going on? _she asks herself. Klaus gets up from his knees, panting loudly, but has this manipulative, devious, almost _evil _grin on his face that only he and Katherine know how to perfect. A grin representing accomplishment.

Bonnie turns to Damon with a confused expression, but turns back to Klaus and focuses on giving him another aneurysm. This one is stronger, and Klaus almost screams.

And so does Damon.

_ What._

Before she knows it, Stefan is shaking her and yelling and shouting at her and being all sorts of frantic. _Um, excuse you, you're not the one doing the spell._

"Bonnie. Bonnie! Everything that's happening to Klaus is happening to Damon. Stop hurting him or else you'll hurt Damon.

The last words—_or else you'll hurt Damon—_causes Bonnie to pause briefly. Alaric takes this opportunity to speak up.

"Klaus must have a witch working for him," he says in slow realization. Elena's eyes widen and they glance to the Original hybrid vampire standing before her and her friends.

Bonnie lets it all sink in. Klaus has a witch working for him. He and Damon are linked together, which means that if they kill Klaus, they kill Damon. _And of course, this must've been how he managed to compel me, _Bonnie thinks bitterly.

_He's always one step ahead of us._

She tears her eyes away from her friends as she concentrates her energy and follows through with a spell in her head. Klaus is trying to break his way out of the ring of fire when she gives him another aneurysm, worse than the one before. He cringes while Damon curses under his breath and stumbles onto the leaf-scattered ground.

She can hear the whispers from Elena and Caroline. The "why isn't she stopping?" and "what's gotten into her?" and "she needs to stop now before she seriously hurts Damon!"

"Bonnie, you're hurting Damon!" Stefan shouts, in an attempt to make her quit. At the same time, Damon manages to struggle out,

"What the hell are you doing to me?"

"You need to break the link, Bonnie," Stefan tells her firmly. "Or else this isn't going to work without you killing Damon too."

Bonnie narrows her eyes into slits. "A reverse spell like that is going to wear me out, we all know that. I don't have enough power to break the link."

"Well, you have to!" Elena exclaims. Bonnie rolls her eyes. _Stay out of this, Elena. I think you've done enough._

"_I can't_," Bonnie states, putting a heavy emphasis on her words.

There's a part of her—the darkest part of her, the side she always tried her best to fight—that wants to cause Damon pain. That wants to make him suffer. She wants to hurt him, because she hurt her. And Bonnie knows it makes her sound like a fucking awful person but she can't help it—she's been tossed around and taken for granted by everyone. They believe she's naïve little Bonnie Bennett, the witch that will always be there when they need something done. _And nobody ever returns a thank you._

A beat.

_Except for Damon._

"If I try to break the link and go through with the immobilization spell, it's not going to end well for me," she says slowly. "I can't do it. I'm sorry."

"But I can," someone says from far away. Everybody looks to the back of the forest, where the strangely familiar voice came from. And there stands Lucy Bennett, which takes everyone off guard. Klaus included.

Bonnie struggles to find her words. "How…" she begins, "how did you know I needed…help…" She's convinced that people dropping by on cue when someone needs them the most only happens in movies.

"I can sense it," Lucy responds, walking over to Bonnie. "It's part of being a Bennett."

"We need you to break the link between Klaus and Damon," Stefan explains, as Lucy's eyes travel from Damon struggling on the ground and Klaus trapped helplessly in a ring of fire.

"I'll take care of it, no problem at all—you do whatever it is you plan on doing to kill Klaus, Bonnie. And once he's dead, we can go out for celebratory drinks." She smiles. Somehow manages to lighten the mood.

As Lucy begins to undo the bond between Damon and Klaus, Bonnie gets out her grimoire and lays the sprig of vervain and wolfsbane on the ground of the woods. She hears words being chanted confidently by Lucy in the background as she unscrews the lids of the vials filled with Tyler's blood and Elijah's blood and pours it on the vervain and wolfsbane.

"It's done," she hears Lucy tell everyone. Stefan and Elena sigh simultaneously in relief and Elena goes to hug Damon—_oh cut it out._

Bonnie recites the immobilization spell she learned, getting louder with every word she says. The blood-soaked herbs are set on fire. Klaus gasps for breath before falling to the ground, motionless. _It worked. _

She sees Stefan take the white oak stake from Damon, who's beginning to recover from Bonnie's attacks. Bonnie puts down the ring of fire, smoke arising from the flames. Stefan crosses over to Klaus, taking up only a second due to his supernatural ability.

_"Goodbye, Klaus," _he says with a vengeful look in his pale green eyes before driving the stake through his heart.

They all watch. Bonnie, Damon, Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Jeremy, Alaric, and Lucy. They watch as Klaus' body turns to stone and a fire begins to blaze where the stake was placed. And soon, there's nothing left of him except for ashes, which fade away immediately.

They stand. Stand in silence.

It worked. Klaus was dead. Gone.

_Forever._

"It…it worked," Elena says astonishingly, being the first one to speak up. She's in tears. Klaus took away so much from them—he took away everything from Stefan—and now he was gone. After centuries of living, after centuries of people running away and hiding from him. He was finally gone.

"We did it," Caroline remarks, her eyes shining bright.

Stefan envelopes Elena into a big hug, and she buries her head into his shoulder.

"Does this mean celebratory drinks?" Lucy interrupts.

"I like that idea," Alaric agrees.

They begin to pack up their weapons and brush off the blood stains on their shirts and hands and head back to Alaric's car. Bonnie stays back, with her grimoire laid out in front of her, still open to the page containing the spell that changed their lives, for the better.

"Bon, you coming?" Damon asks. She notes that he's all healed and back to normal again.

Bonnie hesitates. But nevertheless, she nods, closing her grimoire and standing up.

"Witchy, what's gotten into you?" She fights back tears.

_They won. _She should be celebrating. Having the time of her life, because they've worked and worked for this moment to happen.

But she can't push away the mental image of Damon and Elena together. Or the voices of Elena confessing to Caroline about how they kissed echoing through her head.

"I don't know what you mean," she says back calmly, and tries to make her way back to Alaric's car, where everyone is now sitting in patiently.

"_Judgey._" Bonnie exhales deeply and swivels back around to face him. "Why did you give Klaus that witchy migraine when you fucking knew that it was gonna happen to me too? And what's your problem. You're not acting like yourself. What the hell happened?" It's a question. He doesn't say it like it is one.

"Did you really think you could get away with it?"

Damon stares at her, perplexed.

"Hey, what's holding you two up, we're all waiting," Caroline chirps with Elena and Stefan behind her.

Bonnie scoffs. "I know," she tells him and glances over her shoulder at the doppelganger. "I know that you and Elena kissed."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter was super short, I know, but I realized that it wouldn't work if I added the second part to this instead of leaving it as a separate chapter. If that makes sense at all.**

**I wish I didn't kill off Klaus, but to make up for it, I've uploaded a new Bamon fic involving a hint of Klonnie. It's called Voices Carry, please check it out and tell me what you think! **

**Also, feel free to look up my TVD instagram, where I post edits, mainly Stelena and Bamon. thetvdfangirl**

**Oh, and HOLLER AT ME IF YOU'RE EXCITED FOR OCTOBER 11****TH**** BECAUSE I AM.**

**The next chapter will be a little heartbreaking, I'll admit it(;**

**Reviews motivate me to update faster, and I'd really appreciate the feedback and thoughts. **

**-Alexis :) xx**


	9. Chapter 8 Part 2: Nothing's Fine

**Author's Note: I know you all hate me because I haven't updated in a while. School got me busy, but I finally sat myself down to write this chapter for you all. The short Bamon scenes we see each week on TVD really inspired me. **_**Did you notice how Bonnie introduced Damon to Shane as her friend? **_**Because I did. Hehe. Anyway, on with this chapter….**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of their characters. All rights go to the CW and Julie Plec/Kevin Williamson. I also do not own the song Torn by Natalie Imbruglia.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Previously:<strong>_

_ "Bon, you coming?" Damon asks. She notes that he's all healed and back to normal again. _

_Bonnie hesitates. But nevertheless, she nods, closing her grimoire and standing up._

"_Witchy, what's gotten into you?" She fights back tears._

_ They won. She should be celebrating. Having the time of her life, because they've worked and worked for this moment to happen. _

_ But she can't push away the mental image of Damon and Elena together. Or the voices of Elena confessing to Caroline about how they kissed echoing through her head._

_ "I don't know what you mean," she says back calmly, and tries to make her way back to Alaric's car, where everyone is now sitting in patiently. _

_ "Judgey." Bonnie exhales deeply and swivels back around to face him. "Why did you give Klaus that witchy migraine when you fucking knew that it was gonna happen to me too? And what's your problem. You're not acting like yourself. What the hell happened?" It's a question. He doesn't say it like it is one._

_ "Did you really think you could get away with it?"_

_ Damon stares at her, perplexed._

_ "Hey, what's holding you two up, we're all waiting," Caroline chirps with Elena and Stefan behind her._

_ Bonnie scoffs. "I know," she tells him and glances over her shoulder at the doppelganger. "I know that you and Elena kissed."_

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Nothing's Fine I'm Torn<p>

"_I'm all out of faith, and this is how I feel._

_I'm cold and I am shamed_

_Lying naked on the floor."_

Natalie Imbruglia, "Torn"

* * *

><p>"I know you and Elena kissed."<p>

It's a while before anyone talks. The first one to speak up is Elena, herself, naturally.

She forces out a smile like it's all a big misunderstanding, _which it so isn't. _"You don't understand, bonnie. I can explain—"

Bonnie interrupts Elena with a scoff. "Can you?"

Elena runs a hand anxiously though her thick brunette hair before continuing on. She feels a stab of pain in her stomach when she sees Bonnie's mossy green eyes glassy with tears. _I hurt my best friend. I'm a terrible person. _"I never meant to hurt you, Bonnie," she says, her voice cracking. "I love Stefan, but I…" she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes, "I can't help what I feel for Damon. Or what Damon feels for me."

_"What Damon feels for you?" _Bonnie asks in nothing above a whisper. She holds back the tears threatening to escape from her eyes; she refuses to show any signs of weakness. She wants to believe that she's stronger than that, but in reality, she doesn't believe it at all. Bonnie turns to Damon, who has been standing there watching Elena and Bonnie the entire time. "…What do you feel for her, Damon?"

She braces herself for the answer. But she doesn't get one.

They all stand in silence again, with Caroline looking at Bonnie every now and then, giving her sympathetic looks every now and then. Stefan stands a few feet behind Elena, and his face is almost impossible to read. He's not showing any emotion. No traces of sadness; no traces of anything.

"I'm leaving," Bonnie says after a while of silence.

"No. It was a mistake, Bonnie—" Elena begins to say before Bonnie swivels around and cuts her off.

"No. It wasn't. You both wanted it on some level. And you both aren't sorry on some level. Neither of you cared about me or thought about me when you kissed. I'm so done with both of you. I hope she was worth it, Damon." After she says her last few words, she turns back around and runs and runs without looking back at Damon's face. She can't afford to.

"Elena…" Caroline begins. "It'll be okay."

"_No, _it _won't. _I hurt her. I hurt everyone. I'm a monster." She's trembling, tears falling down her face like rain. Elena turns to Stefan. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

He purses his lips, looking down at his shoes. "I'm not going to act like I'm surprised."

"Stefan," Elena whispers, cupping his cheek with her hand.

"I can't do this right now, Elena." She watches as he walks away in the same direction as Bonnie had, his dark figure getting smaller and fading as he goes further and further away from her.

Elena's hands drop to her sides. Her entire body is numb. She's unable to register that she hurt Bonnie and Stefan and somehow managed to ruin Damon and Bonnie's relationship. _All with one simple mistake._

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, it's Bonnie Bennett. I can't come to the phone right now, leave a message and I'll get back to you."<em>

The doe-eyed doppelganger heaves a sigh as she ends the call. She knows that Bonnie's purposely avoiding her, and she doesn't blame her. _I'm such a screw-up._

She debates calling Bonnie for the fifth time, but decides it's not worth it if she's not going to pick up. She dial's Caroline's number instead.

"Hey."

She hears Caroline exhale deeply on the other line. "Hey."

Elena lowers her eyelids. "You hate me too, don't you?

"No! It's just…I know you're a selfless person and you love playing martyr in every situation but…kissing Damon and Damon kissing you back…why would you ever let that happen? Bonnie's been so much happier since she started dating Damon. _Duh. _They're so good together. They're so good for each other. And Stefan…he loves you. So, _so _much. When he talks about you, his eyes light up because you're his entire world, Elena. And you were selfish and careless enough to throw all of that away by kissing Damon."

_She hates it when Caroline is right._

"It's Damon's fault too," Elena adds. "Where's his lecture."

Caroline chuckles lightheartedly on the other end. "I'm 99% sure Bonnie's gonna handle that." A beat. "Tyler's calling me, so I have to go."

When Caroline ends the call, Elena tosses her phone aside, not caring if it hits something sharp and breaks. _She doesn't even know what to do now. _Sits on her window seat, hugging a pillow tightly to her chest and staring out the window as the rain falls down and the wind blows the trees this way and that.

_ Stefan and Elena. Elena and Stefan. _They were everything that everyone ever wanted…until Damon came into the picture. And then Bonnie joined him. And Elena let her jealousy get in the way of her friendship with Bonnie, her relationship with Stefan, and whatever she had going on with Damon.

She blows out a mouthful of air, disappointed in the way things have turned out, and in herself as well. She contemplates why she decided to bring vampires into her life in the first place. After her parents died, being with Stefan felt so right. It felt so _safe. _Like he could never die. Like she could never lose him the way she lost her parents.

Elena knows it'd be easier if she never met Stefan, or his brother Damon…or if she wasn't the doppelganger of the crazy vampire Katherine, or if her best friend (ex-best friend?) wasn't a witch.

Caroline would've never turned in the first place.

_ It's my fault._

Bonnie's Grams would've never died.

_ It's my fault._

Jenna would be alive.

_ It's my fault._

Vicki Donovan would still be off on a drug rampage. Strange is bad, but dead is so much worse.

_ It's my fault._

Innocent people's lives would be saved.

_ It's __**all **__my fault._

Somewhere between her thoughts, the reflection of Stefan Salvatore appears through the foggy glass, and she whips her head back to see if it's true, or if her eyes are just playing tricks on her from crying too much tonight.

_But it really is him._

"Stefan."

Her first instinct is to jump up and run into his arms, as if they're a couple in a movie seeing each other for the first time in months. But they're not. Their love is complicated and they have to fight every single minute to keep themselves from falling apart—they have to remember to enjoy the little things because that's where the happiness lies.

Elena lifts herself up, wiping a stray tear away from her cheek and walking up to him. She doesn't know what to say, because, really, what can she say? _I'm sorry I kissed your brother, hurt you so much, and hurt my best friend. I let my stupid jealousy get in the way, and that is not who I am. I'm a selfless person but for once, I was selfish. Let that be a part of the past, Stefan. Please. I love you so much and I've already lost Damon and Bonnie and Caroline. You love me, Stefan. Remember that. Hold onto that. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be leaving bodies scattered from Tennessee to Florida. You _need _me._

And her thoughts stop there as she realizes how those words resemble Katherine's. _I'm __**not **__Katherine._

"I'm sorry," Elena finds herself saying through a series of uneven breaths.

"Me too."

"Don't be."

"I am."

She goes closer to him, though it hurts with every step she takes. Being near him kills her because she knows that she's slowly killing _him _inside. She entwines her fingers with his, tries to break the wall that he has built up against her now. Looks deep into his eyes, but they're almost opaque and she can't see anything.

"It'll always be you, Stefan. Damon is just a mistake that I regret. I'm so sorry."

"I don't know what to say, Elena," he mutters, stepping aside as she tries to hug him in that comforting way of hers. "You need to figure out your feelings for Damon."

"_What _feelings for Damon?"

A shadow crosses his face. "Those feelings," he takes a deep breath and lifts her head up so that she's facing him and not the ground. "Those feelings that you've developed for my brother along the way, when I left town with Klaus. Those feelings that you've been trying to hide, even though I've seen every look you've given him. Those feelings that you're too afraid to admit for yourself, but everyone else knows."

Elena rolls her eyes at that. "That is not true, Stefan. I love _you. _You're the one I'm supposed to be with." She doesn't know a simpler way to say it than that, but she'll go on Bing translator and try another language if she has to.

"I have no doubt in my mind that you're supposed to be with me," he replies somberly, "and I'm supposed to be with you. But that may be way down the line, Elena. Who knows? And right now, you have something for Damon." She shakes her head and attempts to look away from her forest-green eyes. "Look at me, Elena. What you have for him might even be just confusion." _Can I go with that? _"But no one will know unless you try to find out for yourself. You're the only one who can figure this out."

She tries to say something back. Anything. "Stefan, don't leave me." Is all.

"I have to."

_"__**No. **_You don't 'have to,' and you can't say that. You love me, Stefan. You love me." It's not even funny how much she sounds like Katherine through Stefan's ears. She wipes away more tears with the sleeve of her red sweater.

"You need time to think. It's for the best."

"It can't be for the best." Now she's crying and hyperventilating and practically having a meltdown and Stefan's just standing there quietly in front of her. _Awkward. _"Stefan, just forget everything and we can move on from this, okay? _You __**need **__me, Stefan."_

"You have no idea how much you sound like Katherine right now." That's all he can think about. He was so determined that she was different from Katherine, but now he doesn't know whether or not his judgment was just clouded.

"You're not going to leave me, Stefan, you love me. You can't leave me…you can't leave me." She puts a big emphasis on that. He doesn't notice.

Stefan pulls her in, wraps his arms around her. Presses his lips softly on her forehead and says, "I do love you. But you need to figure things out for yourself."

"I love you, Stefan," she whispers, burying her head into his chest.

"I love you too, Elena."

It's sweet in the bitterest way.

* * *

><p>Bonnie throws her jeans and blood-splattered shirt in the laundry basket and changes into something more comfortable. She sighs when she picks up her phone and sees the four missed calls from Elena and eight from Damon. They had called her when she was taking her shower, but she decides it doesn't make a difference anyway because she wouldn't have answered the calls anyway. She has one text message from Damon, but decides it's best not to read it.<p>

She hears someone knock on the door, but ignores it and gets a book off her desk to read. They knock again. _Can you not._

Bonnie runs her fingers through her loose waves as she shuffles her way downstairs and to the door. She takes a deep breath before swinging the door open to reveal her visitor, and on some levels she's shocked, but deep inside she knew it was going to be him. After all, it is _always _him.

"Damon."

And she takes just a slight second to marvel at how beautiful he is, with his dark hair matted to his forehead. She can almost see a hint of vulnerability shining through his pale blue eyes. Bonnie doesn't understand how, no matter how many times she sees him, he never ceases to leave her less than amazed.

_Maybe that's because she's fucking crazy about him._

It takes her a while before she remembers everything that's happened. And her heart sinks all over again when she remembers that Damon and Elena kissed, and hid it from her. A part of her wishes that she didn't remember it.

"Why are you here?"

"You know exactly why I'm here, Bennett."

Bonnie crosses her arms in front of her chest, showing closed body language; almost challenging him. "Do I?"

He rolls his eyes. It's like they're the old Bonnie and Damon again, the ones who argued and threatened each other whenever they got the chance. "I'm not here to play games."

She unfolds her arms and places a hand on her hip, acting more confident and bold than she feels inside.

"I'm not playing any games."

He discloses the space between them, slamming her back against the door, and Bonnie's breath hitches when she realizes how dangerously close they are. Bodies nearly touching, faces only centimeters apart. His eyes are blazing with anger and frustration and Bonnie could easily be terrified, but she chooses to keep a calm exterior.

Then, he lets go of her arms and steps back. "Where do we stand, Bonnie?" he asks.

And for the first time in her life, she sees the vulnerable, weak side of Damon Salvatore. The humanity buried inside him.

She wants to give him an answer, but she doesn't know what she's supposed to say. Where _do _they stand?

"I don't know," she says bluntly. It's a stupid answer but that's all she knows. "I can't do this anymore, Damon."

He knits his eyebrows together, almost as if he's confused, but they both know that he knows exactly what she means by it. "Don't say it," he says, almost warning her, but she just ignores him.

"I can't look at you the same way."

"Elena always felt something for me, and you were aware of that when we first got together," he tells her, his stare fixed on her.

"I did," she concurs, without putting up a fight. "But I thought you changed. I thought," she pauses for a second to gather her thoughts, "I thought you didn't feel anything for Elena after we began dating. I believed that your feelings changed, but you two kissed. Your feelings for her never changed. It was all in my head."

"You need to rethink all of this because I don't feel that way about Elena anymore."

Something inside Bonnie tells her to believe him. And she wants to. But then there's her heart, which has been played with and broken far too many times.

"You were obsessed with her for an entire _year, _Damon. How do you expect me to believe you?"

He's looking a t her with a hopeless expression. It hurts her like a knife to the stomach to see him like this—devastated.

"I'm sorry," he says, and she can't say that she's not taken aback because she is. It's not in his language to say it. _Damon doesn't apologize for his impulsive, self-destructive actions._

"We both knew from the start that whatever we got ourselves into wouldn't last forever," Bonnie says. She doesn't expect the words to hurt her as much as they do. Bonnie feels tears started to well up in her jade-colored eyes and they're clouding up her vision—in a way, she's thankful because she doesn't have to see the pain-stricken look on Damon's face.

"Go ahead. Speak for yourself, Bonnie. I didn't knowwhat the fuck I was getting myself into. All I knew is how much I liked you and how much I felt from that first kiss of ours. All I _know _is that we have something pretty damn great." She can tell by the desperate tone of his voice that he's on the very edge. He has no idea what her response is going to be but he doesn't have a clue to what he'll do if she ends their relationship. "You're not gonna walk out on me so quickly. It isn't going to happen."

She shakes her head, lowering her lids so that she can't see his face as she says her next few words.

"But it is." Her voice is unsteady, quivering more and more as the seconds draw by. But her voice is also strong. She's not going to break down and cry—not here, not now.

Damon wants to grab her arm and make sure she doesn't leave. But he can't. Since when is Bonnie Bennett the one who finally manages to break him? They're just standing there, wanting to break eye contact but neither of them having the actual courage to do so. Bonnie swallows the lump stuck in her throat and turns around on her heel, walking back into her house and closing the door, leaving him out on the porch.

Walking away from Damon Salvatore is probably the hardest thing she had to do tonight.

* * *

><p>"<em>Illusion never changed into something real.<em>

_I'm wide awake and I can see_

_The perfect sky is torn."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I hope I did well on this chapter. Please tell me your thoughts! I think I might update Voices Carry before I write Chapter 9. <strong>

**I know some of you have stopped reading this story after I posted Chapter 7 because I didn't update it for like five or six months. I'm so sorry, I'm like the worst person ever and I completely understand. However, I hope this story is worth reading for you guys because it's worth continuing for me.**

**Thoughts on Season 4 of TVD? I'm not really enjoying it because the focus is all on Elena and her adjusting to her life as a vampire. But I am loving the Bamon scenes. **

*****Reviews make me so happy :))*****

**Contact me through:**

**Twitter: hollaniam (fan account)**

**Tumblr: .com (I blog about random stuff)**

**TVD Instagram: thetvdfangirl (I make Stelena/Bamon edits)**

**-Alexis xx**


	10. Chapter 9: Nothing to Lose

**Author's Note: **I know this update is long overdue. I got busy, and also the end of Season 4 of TVD did nothing in bringing me inspiration. Thank you for all the comments and thoughts on my previous chapter. Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of their characters. All rights go to the CW and Julie Plec/Kevin Williamson.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Previously:<strong>_

_"I'm sorry," he says, and she can't say that she's not taken aback because she is. It's not in his language to say it. Damon doesn't apologize for his impulsive, self-destructive actions._

_"We both knew from the start that whatever we got ourselves into wouldn't last forever," Bonnie says. She doesn't expect the words to hurt her as much as they do. Bonnie feels tears started to well up in her jade-colored eyes and they're clouding up her vision—in a way, she's thankful because she doesn't have to see the pain-stricken look on Damon's face._

_"Go ahead. Speak for yourself, Bonnie. I didn't know what the fuck I was getting myself into. All I knew is how much I liked you and how much I felt from that first kiss of ours. All I know is that we have something pretty damn great." She can tell by the desperate tone of his voice that he's on the very edge. He has no idea what her response is going to be but he doesn't have a clue to what he'll do if she ends their relationship. "You're not gonna walk out on me so quickly. It isn't going to happen."_

_She shakes her head, lowering her lids so that she can't see his face as she says her next few words._

_"But it is." Her voice is unsteady, quivering more and more as the seconds draw by. But her voice is also strong. She's not going to break down and cry—not here, not now._

_Damon wants to grab her arm and make sure she doesn't leave. But he can't. Since when is Bonnie Bennett the one who finally manages to break him? They're just standing there, wanting to break eye contact but neither of them having the actual courage to do so. Bonnie swallows the lump stuck in her throat and turns around on her heel, walking back into her house and closing the door, leaving him out on the porch._

_Walking away from Damon Salvatore is probably the hardest thing she had to do tonight._

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Nothing to Lose<p>

_"My hands are tied,_

_My body bruised_

_She's got me with_

_Nothing to win, and_

_Nothing to lose."_

U2, "With or Without You"

* * *

><p>It's the fourth day after The Break-Up Incident when Bonnie receives an invitation from Lucy via phone call insisting that she attends the Official Celebration of Klaus's Death. She doesn't think it is right to celebrate a death, even one of someone like Klaus, who did unforgiveable things. But she decides to go, anyway, because she has not be handling the break-up well (i.e. sitting at home watching Nicholas Sparks movies), and she needs that extra push to get herself out of the house.<p>

"Tomorrow at the Mystic Grill. It starts at six-thirty. It's going to be fun, and you need some fun, honey. Dress cute." With that, Lucy hangs up.

_It does not ever occur to Bonnie that Damon and Elena might be attending this "Death Celebration," as well._

* * *

><p>Bonnie walks into the Mystic Grill, the whole place rented out just for the night. There's fun music playing, people dancing, and Lucy and Alaric laughing at the bar over shots of tequila.<p>

"Bonnie!" she hears a familiar voice call her name.

The witch swivels around on her heel to face Caroline, who hugs her with one arm, due to the fact that the other is carrying a flute of champagne.

"You look _stellar,_" Caroline gushes, cheeks bright red. Bonnie wonders just how much champagne she has had to drink tonight. It takes a lot to get a vampire drunk, and something tells her that this was not Caroline's first drink. "Let's go dance!" she exclaims, dragging Bonnie onto the dance-floor.

With one arm holding her champagne flute up, high and proud, Caroline begins to sway her hips towards the beat of the catchy Marina and the Diamonds track, swinging her blonde hair in all different directions.

"THIS IS HOW TO BE A HEARTBREAAAAAAKER," Caroline sings at the top of her lungs.

While Caroline continues to sing along to the music, Bonnie just stands there and winces because Caroline is _really fucking smashed, _and it's never fun to see your best friend drunk off her ass.

Or maybe Bonnie is bitter because everyone seems to be capable of having fun and having an excellent, care-free time but her, who is still angry at her _other _best friend for kissing Damon, vice-versa, and tense because either of them could come up to her at any second now.

And, as if on cue, that is exactly what happens.

"It's a party. Don't you think you should be dancing out there with Blondie?"

Bonnie closes her eyes. _Looks like she had the right to be tense. _Of course Damon would have the audacity to talk to her after sharing a kiss with Elena, and lying to her about it. She shakes her head before trying to walk past him. He holds her back, grabbing her by the wrist.

"You know, I really have nothing to say to you," Bonnie snaps, jerking herself out of his grasp in one sharp movement. _That is, excluding 'fuck you.'_

"But _I _have something to say to you."

"I don't want to hear it, Damon."

"Oh, but you do."

"Leave me alone. You know better than anyone that I will set you on fire without a second thought," she threatens, making Damon hesitate for a second. "Damon-"

"Bonnie," he mimics.

"Stay away from me," she states firmly, eyes darkening.

There is a brief pause, where the two just stare at each other, neither of them daring to back down. Just as Bonnie begins to push past him and walk off, she hears him mutter two words that she rarely ever hears him say:

"I'm sorry."

She stops for a second to turn around, and sees his pale blue eyes lit up with sincerity and even a little desperation. But she has played this game before, been a fool for his tricks before, and has gotten caught up in his lies before. Shaking her head, Bonnie turns back around and walks off.

* * *

><p>"I forgot the mention that Damon would be here. I'm sorry," Lucy apologizes immediately after Bonnie informs her about the recent run-in.<p>

"No, it's okay. Thanks for the invite, though," Bonnie responds. _Although I would have been fine spending my night at home shuffling through movies on Netflix, instead of dressing up in an uncomfortable dress, no matter how "stellar" it is, handling my wasted best friend, and running into my ex-boyfriend, all in one night. _She runs a hand over the non-existent wrinkles on her dress. "So, um, is Elena here?"

"Oh, she specifically told Alaric that she wasn't coming." Bonnie purses her lips, knowing that Elena's decision was the best one. "Speaking of which, how are you holding up?"

Bonnie slides into the bar stool next to Lucy, lifting a shoulder and smiling solemnly. "As good as anybody can be after a break-up."

Lucy glances over at her cousin, and shoots her a grin. "That's great to hear."

"Yeah, and it's great to feel that way. I really am doing well. Really, really. I'm not even upset over it, to be honest," she adds. This earns a cringe from Lucy, along with some sympathy stares from the people within earshot. "All right, I'm doing awful without Damon."

"That's great to hear, too," Lucy says, giving her another grin. Bonnie quirks an eyebrow at Lucy's response. "You've been a strong girl, Bonnie. You killed Klaus, and we are all proud. It's impressive for a young with to pull off such a powerful spell. You are allowed to have a few weak moments; you are only human. Bonnie, let this be one of those weak moments."

The two witches stay silent for a while, Bonnie taking Lucy's words into consideration. Through resurrecting Jeremy, all the way to killing Klaus, she has remained strong. Through the hurt, she has kept it together. She has been indestructible, all this time, up until Damon Salvatore came along, and destructed her.

"I want to be strong for this, too. I don't understand why I can be strong for everything else, except this."

* * *

><p>By the end of the night, Bonnie ends up having to take Caroline home early because she has not seen Caroline so drunk since their first high school party in freshmen year. She takes Caroline's phone and texts Sheriff Forbes, telling her that she, completely sober, good-student Caroline, is staying over at Bonnie's to help her cope with recent events. After all, isn't that what friends are for? Saving each other from getting busted by hisher parents. Now, that is true friendship.

"Bon, you are such a buzz kill," Caroline mumbles as Bonnie carefully leads Caroline to her room, where she allows the blonde vampire to collapse right onto her bed.

She chuckles. "You are more than just buzzed, Care."

* * *

><p>"RISE AND SHINE, BONNIE!" Caroline exclaims. Bonnie's eyes fly open, and she recoils in alarm, falling off of the living room couch. "I made you coffee," she continues, all but shoving a porcelain mug in Bonnie's face.<p>

Offering a small smile, Bonnie sits up, gratefully taking the coffee, and taking a long sip. "Thanks, Caroline. How are you feeling; you were pretty drunk last night."

Caroline dismissively waves her worries away. "I'm all good." She smiles brightly. "I had a Gatorade. Those electrolytes do wonders for hangovers. It also helps that I'm a vampire and all."

"Great. I texted your Mom for you."

"I saw. You are a life-saver, Bonnie, thank you for helping me last night."

"It was no problem, Care."

"We should have a movie night tomorrow or something. Just us. No Elena, and, God, no alcohol."

Bonnie laughs, although she has a movie night almost every night by herself. "Sounds good." Yawning, Bonnie stands up, and makes her way to the kitchen, Caroline only two or three steps behind her. "Do you want some breakfast? I can make pancakes."

"It's okay, I can make them!" she chirps. "Bonnie, I know how hard these past few days have been for you. I haven't been there enough for you after the whole break-up. Especially last night, when Damon was at the party and I was just out there dancing to Marina, not even asking how you were."

Caroline gets the box of pancake mix out of the cupboard. "Wow, I am _so_ in the mood for pancakes."

"Mhm, me too," Bonnie concurs. "You know, I have a great story about pancakes. It was the night I stayed over at Damon's, and Elena got totally weird about the whole jacket thing. I overslept, so I was in a rush to get ready that morning, and when I went into the Salvatores' kitchen to get some coffee, I saw this huge mess. There was flour and eggs and raw pancake batter scattered everywhere. It turns out Damon had tried to make pancakes for me." Bonnie's laugh fades into a sigh.

"Of course Damon can't cook," Caroline mutters under her breath, rolling her eyes. "You must really miss him."

"I wish I didn't." Bonnie takes another sip of her coffee. "I know I shouldn't miss Damon and I know that he is always going to choose Elena and it is always going to be Elena, but there's a part of me that wants to forget that and be with him."

Caroline sets the box of pancake mix aside, and turns to Bonnie. "Have you talked to either of them about this?"

Bonnie shakes her head. "I can't talk to Elena. We've been friends for so long, and she did something to sabotage that. As if our friendship meant nothing to her, as if my happiness meant nothing to her. And Damon? He said he would never hurt me. He was the last person who was _ever _supposed to hurt me." She lowers her mossy green eyes, fixating them upon the hardwood floor, then back up at Caroline. "But it's for the best. Damon and I weren't supposed to last, anyway. It was just a matter of time before we broke up."

"Maybe you're right," Caroline says, blowing out a mouthful of air. "Or maybe I'm right when I say this: Bonnie, when we see you and Damon together, it just _works. _It is so clear to everyone in the room that you two are supposed to be together. There's something special there, something real. And relationships like that shouldn't be thrown away like they're candy wrappers."

This earns a sigh from Bonnie.

"But Elena..."

"Screw Elena!" Caroline exclaims.

_That's a nice way to talk about one of your best friends._

"She and Damon _kissed._" Bonnie puts a big emphasis on "kissed."

"Damon is _crazy _about you! Whatever obsession he had with Elena is over, and that was probably a one-time thing. It couldn't have meant anything."

"And what if it did?"

Shaking her head, Caroline gets started on the pancakes, signaling the end of this discussion.

Bonnie purses her lips. The image of Damon with Elena comes to her mind. The doppelganger staring up at him with her doe eyes, cupping the sides of his face gently, and telling him to forget about Bonnie and Stefan and everyone else, trying to convince him to give them a shot because she believes that, against all odds, they are meant to be together. Then, Damon protests only a little before he turns back into his impulsive self, and kisses her. _Bonnie who?_

Feeling a stabbing pain in her abdomen, Bonnie blocks out the image immediately. There are many things in the world that she can stand. The thought of Damon and Elena together are not one of them.

* * *

><p>Bonnie drives Caroline home after breakfast, stopping by the Grill on the way back to pick up her forgotten jacket from the previous night. The place is nearly empty, being that it is the middle of the day and all. Waitresses are serving customers their daily afternoon cups of coffee, and bus boys are clearing off tables. She spots her purple jacket resting on a coat rack by the entrance and takes it into her hands.<p>

"Bonnie, hey," a voice calls. Taking a full look around the place, she catches a glimpse of Matt, standing behind the bar, wiping off water rings with a dishrag. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came back to get my jacket. I forgot it last night."

"Oh, okay."

"Yeah."

The awkward silence is inevitable.

"So...how are things between you and Elena?"

_She hasn't even been thinking of Elena. _Bonnie has made her best effort to avoid any thoughts and conversations regarding that doe-eyed brunette, still unsure of how she could go behind her back and kiss her boyfriend. Obviously the Friend of the Year award was being handed to Elena this year.

"I haven't really spoken to her." Which is the truth.

"She's really sorry, you know."

"I'm not so sure about that." _Considering after the first night, she's made no effort to call or apologize or make any sort of contact with me whatsoever._

Matt purses his lips, throwing the dishrag over his shoulder. "Well, my shift's nearly over. Do you want to go for a walk? You can rant about all things Elena and Damon and everything."

Bonnie squeezes out a smile. "Sure."

* * *

><p><em>Damon Salvatore wishes he was drunk. <em>Forget the fact that it is 1 p.m., he just wants to drink until the pain was numbed and he ached in a good way. After the party last night, all he could do was return home and fixate his eyes onto the screen of his cell phone, hoping that the witch's name would pop up. Every now and then, he'd contemplate calling her, but a part of him knew that it was no use. Elena, on the other hand, made several attempts to call him and text him. _He ignored every single one. _

And that's when he decides to go out. He needs to get away from his brother, who has been writing in his journal and brooding over the fact that he, too, was hurt by Damon and Elena's little scandal, though he claims that he "should have seen it coming." But more importantly, Damon needs a drink or two. Or five.

He walks to the Grill, enjoying the coldness that Mystic Falls offers. He is just about to enter, when someone calls his name from behind.

"Damon!"

He turns around.

_He wishes he hadn't._

"Elena," he mutters under his breath.

"I...I've been trying to reach you nonstop."

"I've noticed," he replies bitterly. "And you should stop trying."

"Damon," she starts again, grabbing his wrist before he enters the Grill. "Damon, let's go out tonight."

He looks at her like she is crazy.

_Which she just might be._

"I'm not going out with you tonight, Elena," he scowls.

"Come on, it'll give us a chance to talk. We need to work things out."

Something about that doesn't ring true to Damon. He doesn't need to work anything out with Elena. Maybe she needs to work things out with Bonnie, and he definitely needs to do the same, but through his eyes, he and Elena have nothing to discuss.

They are interrupted when the door pushes open, revealing Bonnie and Matt, about to exit. Together. Elena freezes in her spot, shifting her eyes from Bonnie to Matt to Damon, and back to Bonnie. Bonnie remains silent, taking one glance at Damon, but not daring to take another.

A lump gets caught in Damon's throat. Bonnie pushes past the two of them, dragging an uncomfortable Matt behind her. His eyes burn through her, but she doesn't notice. She's too interested in her conversation with Matt to notice anything, to notice him.

_Bonnie? With Matt? _It all stirs up something inside of him, and it's a feeling he's not accustomed to.

"And besides," Elena begins, all-of-the-sudden, "if Bonnie has moved on, why can't you?"

He watches Bonnie and the quarterback-slash-busboy walk, all the way until they're out of sight. His eyes never leave Bonnie once, not even as he tells Elena the words she wants to hear: "Wear something nice. I'll pick you up at eight."

* * *

><p><em>"See the stone set in your eyes<em>

_See the thorn twist in your side_

_And I wait without you."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Why this chapter is so short and rushed, I don't know. But there you have it. Bonnie is mad at Damon, Matt is being a good friend to Bonnie, Elena and Damon have both misinterpreted what is going on between Matt and Bonnie, and..._**Damon has made plans with the devil? **_Oh, dear, how will that go?

I'll try to update sooner this time. (If I don't, literally just PM me or hit me up with a tweet vampirelilo because I tend to procrastinate until someone sits me down at a computer and opens up a word document.)

Leave a review of your questions, thoughts, comments, and/or your favorite moments :)

-Alexis x


	11. Chapter 10: Broken Parts

**Author's Note: **The latest installment of Bonnie & Damon, in which Damon tells off Elena, Baroline go clubbing, and Damon blurts out three little words he probably shouldn't have said.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of the characters mentioned in the story. All rights go to creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson. **

* * *

><p><em><strong>Previously:<strong>_

"_I'm not going out with you tonight, Elena," he scowls._

"_Come on, it'll give us a chance to talk. We need to work things out."_

_Something about that doesn't ring true to Damon. He doesn't need to work anything out with Elena. Maybe she needs to work things out with Bonnie, and he definitely needs to do the same, but through his eyes, he and Elena have nothing to discuss._

_They are interrupted when the door pushes open, revealing Bonnie and Matt, about to exit. Together. Elena freezes in her spot, shifting her eyes from Bonnie to Matt to Damon, and back to Bonnie. Bonnie remains silent, taking one glance at Damon, but not daring to take another._

_A lump gets caught in Damon's throat. Bonnie pushes past the two of them, dragging an uncomfortable Matt behind her. His eyes burn through her, but she doesn't notice. She's too interested in her conversation with Matt to notice anything, to notice him._

_Bonnie? With Matt? It all stirs up something inside of him, and it's a feeling he's not accustomed to._

"_And besides," Elena begins, all-of-the-sudden, "if Bonnie has moved on, why can't you?"_

_He watches Bonnie and the quarterback-slash-busboy walk, all the way until they're out of sight. His eyes never leave Bonnie once, not even as he tells Elena the words she wants to hear: "Wear something nice. I'll pick you up at eight."_

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Broken Parts<p>

"_Said I'd never leave her because her hands fit like my t-shirt._

_Tongue-tied over three words, cursed._

_Running over thoughts that make my feet hurt_

_Bodies intertwined with her lips."_

One Direction, "Over Again"

* * *

><p>"I was thinking about us and everything that's been going on, and I guess I just wanted to ask how you were handling it. And how's Bonnie doing? Have you heard from her? She won't pick up my calls, not that I exactly blame her, but I just wish she would give me a chance to explain everything. Bonnie is my best friend. I never meant to betray her like that, and I'm certain you didn't, either." Elena pauses briefly and glances over at Damon, sitting across from her. He merely blinks. "Um, you look really good tonight. Clean. Sharp." <em>Sharp?<em> she questions herself. She wonders why she keeps failing to say the right words to release a reaction from him.

Damon lazily grabs the glass of wine resting by his planted elbow and brings it up to his parted lips. There's not enough alcohol in the world to make Elena seem interesting. He knows it, and she's starting to know it, too.

"Don't you feel the slightest bit of remorse, Elena?" he mutters through his gritted teeth.

"Of course I do. Bonnie is my best friend. I will never forgive myself for what I did to her."

"You have a good way of showing it."

"Damon, you're the one who agreed to go out with me," Elena states pointedly. He closes his eyes, almost as if he is shielding himself from the scene he is partaking in. Reflecting back, he can't grasp why he accepted Elena's invitation. It was a decision made in the heat of the moment when his emotions swirled with anger and threatened his heart. "I'm glad you did, though. Maybe we can finally be together."

He furrows his eyebrows in perplexity. She sits there with a smile on her face like nothing is wrong. Like he did nothing wrong, like _she_ did nothing wrong.

"What about my little brother? Or have you forgotten about him all together?" Damon shoots back.

Elena heaves a sigh. "Stefan told me to figure out my feelings for you. I love him, Damon, but I want you. I want us."

He thinks he's going to vomit up three glasses of wine.

Tears brim at the corners of her innocent doe eyes, however she refuses to cry.

"I feel so bad for what we did, Damon," she whispers almost inaudibly. She sucks back the tears as they threaten to spill out. She has cried in front of the Salvatores too many times. "I can't look at myself in the mirror anymore. What stares back at me is repulsive. Bonnie refuses to talk to me, Caroline refuses to betray Bonnie, and Stefan refuses to...show emotion. He's indifferent, like I could get hit by a car and he wouldn't visit me at the hospital. And guess what? I deserve it. You're the only person I have, Damon. I want you. I want us to be together."

Elena's strength falters as tears escape, streaming freely down her cheeks. He scoffs. Damon Salvatore has never been a sucker for crying women, and he refuses to become one right now.

"Elena," he begins slowly, finally looking up to reach her glassy eyes with his own. "You become more and more like Katherine every day."

A pain in Elena's chest strikes her. She doesn't think that's true. It can't be true. Why does everyone keep telling her that?

"I'm not Katherine."

"You so accurately reminded me of her. And, god dammit, I used to love you for it," Damon counters without tearing his stare away from hers. "I loved you for it, and I hated Stefan for having what was left of the past I had never let go of." He shakes his head as he acknowledges all the times he felt a pit of hatred toward his brother burning inside him. "Katherine was a lifetime ago. In this lifetime, Bonnie is the only one I want. She's the only one I want for the rest of my lifetimes."

The doe-eyed brunette remains frozen. Her mouth falls open, ready to speak, but she loses the words she has collected over the years.

"What about me? I don't have anyone left, Damon!" she exclaims, causing the couples dining around them to cast glances in their direction.

Damon lifts himself up, nodding his head at a waiter for the check. He exhales, letting out a breath of exhaustion. "_You_ can forget all about that creepy threesome of you, me, and my brother that you've been working on in your head."

* * *

><p>"Clubbing? Really, Caroline?" Bonnie asks, sifting through the bags of clothes her blonde vampire best friend has brought over. She fishes out a black bodycon dress the length of an average tee shirt and throws it back into the shopping bag without a hint of trepidation. "These clothes aren't exactly modest."<p>

"Neither were Elena and Damon when they were macking on each other," Caroline shoots back, focusing on applying generous coats of mascara onto her heavy lashes. "Find something you like. Tonight's going to be _fan-tas-tic._"

Bonnie decides on a low-cut tank that shows too much cleavage for her taste but also, admittedly, does not look too bad, along with a pair of leather pants that stick to her like paint. She shows far less skin than Caroline who has gone with a fire-engine red dress that can make her stand out in a mosh pit. _Trust Caroline to push the envelope._

"Are you ready to forget all of your boy problems, Bonnie Bennett?!" she exclaims, tugging at the witch's arm enthusiastically.

The duo laugh as they head out, unaware of what the night is about to bring.

* * *

><p>Bonnie stares incredulously at the blonde as she compels the bartender. Caroline returns to Bonnie with two drinks in her hand and a smile of success.<p>

"Uh, what happened to no more alcohol?" Bonnie asks, waving the martini in her face.

"That resolution didn't quite work out," Caroline concedes, lifting a shoulder in a half-attempted shrug. "Drink up and tell me if you spot any cute guys."

They clink their glasses together and take a sip, starting the night off as classy, of-the-age ladies.

Quickly as the two part, Bonnie sits down on the nearest bar stool, observing the drunken people dancing as if it is their last night on Earth. Their hot and sweaty bodies grind up against one another, and for a moment or two, it doesn't matter if they're lonely or sad or broken inside. They are just people trying to forget about their lives and themselves for one night.

As for Caroline, she becomes one of those people. She grabs onto the collar of a semi-attractive man's shirt and pulls him over to her, closing the gap between them.

Bonnie rolls her eyes. She knows she wants to be one of them. The desire to let loose and be free and forget momentarily tugs at her heart and makes the hairs on the back of her neck raise. After all, the last time she truly felt alive was when she was with...

She snaps her eyes shut automatically as the image of the burning-eyed devil crawls into her mind.

The way he pronounced her name so delicately, as if he wanted to taste every syllable. The way he gazed at her, making her cheeks flame up. The way he set fire to her heart without even having to graze her skin.

Damon was a bigger part of her than she would ever admit.

"So, have you spotted any hot guys yet?" Caroline inquires, interrupting Bonnie's thoughts.

With a small recoil of alarm, Bonnie shakes her head. She catches a glimpse of a tall, dark figure surrounded by a large group of women. She thinks it's Damon. _She thinks she's hallucinating._

"Just the homicidal ones," Bonnie murmurs under her breath, blinking a few times to clear her vision.

"What?" Caroline questions. She averts her concentration over to where Bonnie was staring. "Hold up, is that Damon?"

_Okay. So maybe she wasn't hallucinating._

"What the HELL is he doing here? If he thinks he has a shot of ruining our girls' night, then he is dead wrong," the blonde continues with arms crossed and lips in a pout.

* * *

><p>Damon smirks. Sad as he may be, he can never refuse the company of women dressed in tight clothing.<p>

A petite girl with flaming red hair boldly locks her arms around his neck. His smirk only grows. She shakes around and sways back and forth, hair bouncing back and forth to reveal enticing inches of her translucent skin. Damon glances at the pale indigo veins. He feels the straining dryness of his throat aching, the stinging of his fangs as they lengthen.

And he goes for it. He dives in, deeply sinking his teeth into the side of his victim's neck, pooling in as much blood as he can. The metallic taste swirls in his mouth. He can't remember the last time he fed from the source, and fuck Bonnie and fuck ethics because this is next best thing to sex.

When he feels the poor girl getting light in his grip, he realizes he has taken too much. He lets her go, cleans up the messy wound with the back of his hand, and sighs.

And when he's done feeding, he only sees the streak of fresh blood on his palm and the flaming-red-haired girl who is dizzy and not because she is plastered. Bonnie is still not with him. No amount of lightheaded humans will trick him into believing that she is.

It's like a drunken hook-up. He doesn't know if he feels guilty or ashamed. He doesn't know if the pleasure was worth the dreams. He doesn't know if he regrets it.

* * *

><p>"You doing okay?"<p>

"You should know the answer to that by now," Damon replies monotonously, taking another swig out of his glass of amber-colored liquid. He ignores the sour scoff from Alaric. "I lost her. I lost her, and I never even really told her how I _felt._"

It just hurts too much. Damon wants to be numb. The feeling of his heart being smashed was supposed to go away after his and Bonnie's break-up. It still remains and only gets stronger. _Why won't it go away, god dammit?!_

"Yeah, you and Bonnie were really something. But you could be really something with somebody else, too, the way I'm starting to be with Lucy. Jenna was everything to me, but when it was over, it was over. I had to accept that. You have to accept it, too," Alaric further explains, adding the effects of hand gestures every now and then.

And suddenly, Damon is holding up his friend in close proximity by the shirt. "You're right. She's everything, Ric!" he shouts. "She's fucking _everything,_" he seethes, his hand curling up into a clenched fist. "And she's the only one I ever want to be really _anything _with. I would die before anything ever touched her."

Alaric coughs, thoroughly struggling to breathe as Damon digs his fist into his throat. With a narrowing of his eyes, Damon reluctantly lets him down.

They don't say anything to each other for a minute or two. Damon would rather smash his face into the line of whiskey glasses than apologize for his damn actions. How_ dare _someone suggest moving on from Bonnie? The only girl he ever really—

"Tell her how you feel," Alaric says finally. "I've never seen you as happy as you've been around Bonnie. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you happy."

"Thaaaanks, buddy," Damon deadbeats.

"Tell her how you feel and even if she doesn't forgive you, you won't be hurting everyone around you, _including underage girls that never predicted being someone's midnight snacks._ And maybe someday you and Bonnie will get something Jenna and I never got: a chance to stay together."

Alaric pats Damon on the shoulder before leaving him alone, once again.

Damon plays with the rim of the glass in his hands, studying the light traces of red liquid that have transferred from him to the glass. He doesn't understand what he has done, just now to Ric and a few minutes ago to the little girl. He's Damon fucking Salvatore. He messes up. But why does he feel so _wrong _about it?

He feels a familiar scent approaching him. Her presence makes him grip his glass a little bit harder, turning his knuckles white.

"How are you?"

He doesn't look at her. He doesn't know how he would handle it if he did. "I'm peachy, Judgey."

"Great. That's great."

"You can quit being all awkward-teenage-girl on me," he says, finally landing the courage to steal a glimpse in her direction.

"I…I think I'm going crazy," she murmurs to herself. "Can I start over?"

"Don't know. Can you?"

She quirks a brow. "You're such an ass."

"Telling me things I already know, Bennett."

Something presses down on her chest when she hears him call her _Bennett. _Even so, she doesn't feel the urge to walk away from this conversation. She realizes how dangerous this is. She's falling harder for him just by talking to him. She's playing with fire_. It's not right, but it feels like it is. _It feels right to stand by him with hardly any space between each other. To look into those endless, celestial eyes that represent the humanity in him.

_God, he's everything to her, and he doesn't even know it._

As her gaze drops lower and lover, she lands on the drops of red dabbled on his pale skin. He almost had her.

_He is so scared to lose her, and she's not his to lose._

"Don't tell me that's what I think it is," she grumbles, extending her arm to his face.

She brushes over the thin stream of dried blood by the corner of his mouth. As soon as she recognizes the texture of it, she feels a hint of disappointment and a hell lot of anger that she tries to lower.

"Why, Damon?"

He doesn't even hear her. All he can focus on is the wave of electricity that rushed through his body when her fingers grazed over his skin. All he can focus on is Alaric's words. All he can focus on is how he needs to feel her warmth again.

"Dance with me," he suddenly offers, against any better judgment. Bonnie's eyes widen to the size of saucers. He smoothly offers her a hand.

"I can't do that," she whispers softly. She stares at his hand incredulously as if it is an object that terrifies her. It does terrify her. Anything out of the Damon Salvatore Grand Gesture Book scares the hell out of her.

He withdraws his hand in defeat. The crinkle of his forehead and the downward curves of his mouth dishearten her. It's not easy to see him like this. _But it's also not easy to get your heart broken._

She reaches out and gives his hand a small squeeze, for it is all she can offer. His touch nearly makes her jump out of her skin. Damon glances down at their hands resting on top of one another, then back up at Bonnie who is smiling as if to say: "I still care about you. Please don't hurt anybody. You always end up hurting yourself the most."

She lets go. Damon lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. She turns around and starts ambling off. Damon's heart turns over.

"Bonnie," Damon calls. She whips around reluctantly, swiveling 180 degrees on her heel. Their eyes meet for that sudden moment, and pain shoots through both of them, aching in their hearts. "Don't pretend like you don't know that I love you."

* * *

><p>"<em>I will give you all my heart<em>

_So we can start it all over again."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Damon finally understood his feelings for both Elena and Bonnie in this chapter. (Damon loves Bonnie. They're each other's "everything." The Bamon feels, man. I cry.) Bonnie decided to wave a white flag, mostly because it (was ridiculous to act like she didn't give a shit about him. As for Elena...well, Elena is alone, and she must learn to be her own companion. I really look forward to writing her growth and showing some character development!

I appreciate all of the support that you guys have given me. Sometimes I wake up and see a new review for this story, and it makes my day.

Tell me your thoughts, questions, predictions, favorite/least favorite moments...anything, really :D

Until next time, my lovelies!

- Alexis xo


	12. Chapter 11: Because of You

**Author's Note:** Hey, I updated. Snaps for me.

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or the characters mentioned below. All rights go to the CW, LJ Smith, Julie Plec, and Kevin Williamson.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Previously:<em>**

_She reaches out and gives his hand a small squeeze, for it is all she can offer. His touch nearly makes her jump out of her skin. Damon glances down at their hands resting on top of one another, then back up at Bonnie who is smiling as if to say: "I still care about you. Please don't hurt anybody. You always end up hurting yourself the most."_

_She lets go. Damon lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. She turns around and starts ambling off. Damon's heart turns over._

_"Bonnie," Damon calls. She whips around reluctantly, swiveling 180 degrees on her heel. Their eyes meet for that sudden moment, and pain shoots through both of them, aching in their hearts. "Don't pretend like you don't know that I love you."_

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Because of You<p>

_"Here I am and I can't seem to see straight_

_But I'm too numb to feel right now_

_And here I am watching the clock that's ticking away my time_

_I'm too numb to feel right now."_

The Pretty Reckless, "Just Tonight"

* * *

><p><em>"Don't pretend like you don't know that I love you."<em>

_"Don't pretend like you don't know that I love you."_

_"Don't pretend like you don't know that I love you."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you."_

His words continue to repeat themselves in her head. She tries to block it out, but the words are like echoes in a cave, and she's a bat. They don't even sound like words anymore. They are blurred together and all she can concentrate on is the lowness of his tone and the image of him never taking his eyes off of her, not even as she walked straight out of the club with Caroline on her arm.

There is no way that he had meant it. He just saw something of his slipping out of his fingers, panicked, and blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind.

_She's not fully convinced of that, though._

The wetting of his lips and the masked shaking of his voice told her otherwise.

Why couldn't Damon just leave her alone? She was perfectly content with blocking out her beloved memories with him, shutting out her pulsating feelings for him. He didn't have to barge in, all drunk and self-deprecating with glassy eyes and red lips, and screw her over.

She stood no chance against Damon, especially when he was at his weakest. When she caught the slightest glimpse of him and his guilt, all she wanted to do was slap him and burn him and_hug him_ and tell him that he would be okay.

_Fuck that vampire._

How could she care about him, after all this time? And how could Damon have the audacity to shout out that he loved her? How could he have the nerve to do such thing? It isn't his generation anymore. The years of love declarations are long gone.

Bonnie isn't stupid. This is an obvious fact due to her good marks in school and stellar standardized test scores. But she is smart when it comes to reading people. She sees right through Damon and his tricks. She understands the way the gears of his undead brain works, and how the aching squeeze in his heart oftentimes clouds his judgment.

He couldn't get the Girl of His Dreams. He went after her best friend, someone who sparked a tiny interest in him. He kissed Elena when he got the chance because he had a chance to taste caviar instead of catfish, for once. He lost the Best Friend. He knew he lost her and couldn't stand the thought of it. And so, he said the one thing he knew would get her crawling back to him because if he is starving, he doesn't decline a bite of catfish.

Bonnie shakes her head. He loves Elena. He is obsessed with Elena. He would die for her. He would let_Bonnie_ for her.

She will not be a consolation prize. A back-up, an Elena stand-in, a second choice.

Bonnie lets out a loud scoff. She has been fooling herself this whole time. Damon does not care for her. Damon does not give a fuck about her. And he certainly is not in love with her. To think that he would feel half an ounce for Bonnie of what he feels for Elena makes her a fucking idiot, never mind her grades and ACT scores.

She refuses to fall for those celestial eyes, that charming quarter of a smile, the aura he carries with him again. Damon does not love her.

_At least she thinks he doesn't._

* * *

><p>Damon stares at the ceiling of his bedroom, laying flat on his back with his legs and arms spread out like he is making a snow angel without moving a limb.<p>

_What the fuck did he just do?_

The ceiling he is fixated on is moving. _When did ceilings start doing that? _He shuts his eyes closed, wondering how he can take back his words. They meant the world when he uttered them, but the head shake Bonnie gave before rushing the hell out of the club made them seem _worthless._

He fucking loves her, and she doesn't even believe him.

All he wants is to love her, and for her to love him. It's not supposed to be this complicated. Some may even argue that love is the least complicated thing in the world when it's done right. So, what? The love he feels for Bonnie is beyond words and every bit as real as non-complicated love._ It's not supposed to be this complicated, but it always is._

Truth be told, Damon doesn't know what outcome he was expecting. Bonnie rushing up to him to slam her lips up against his, running her hands through his jet black hair. Muttering under her hot breath, "I won't pretend anymore. I love you, Damon." He doesn't know what he was expecting, but anything would've been better than her turning her back on him again, as if his words had no value to them. It was a slap in the face, Bonnie Bennett style.

He's drunk and lost and broken. He just wants her in his arms.

His moment to himself is interrupted when he feels someone else's presence lingering about.

Damon lifts himself up. "What do you want, Little Brother?" he deadpans.

"How are you doing, Damon?"

He is sick of people asking him that.

"Good enough."

"Funny how you're the one who kisses my girlfriend, and you shut me out."

"Fuck off, Stefan. Just fuck off."

"And it's funny how you took Elena out on a date, too," he continues, purposely provoking him.

"I left her there," Damon reasons. Then he thinks it over. Decides he doesn't have to reason. "You broke up with Elena."

"You kissed her."

"And _you_ ended things with her," he points out. "Don't take it out on me. It was your decision."

"After all these years, you still don't take responsibility for your actions," Stefan scowls, moving from leaning his shoulder on the doorframe to inching closer to Damon. "Maybe you deserve the pain you're going through right now. You earned the pain you feel from no longer having Bonnie because you hurt everybody around you."

"Stefan, I'm warning you."

"No, brother, I'm warning you," Stefan corrects him.

The younger vampire pushes Damon against the nearest wall, causing Damon to groan at the ache in his back. Stefan slings a fist across Damon's face with as much force as he can possibly exert.

_More than anything, he probably deserved that._

* * *

><p>Stefan lets out a mouthful of air, a breath of exasperation, as he walks out of Damon's room, feeling a little accomplished but not that much better about himself. He tried to pin it all on him, being classic Damon. Two people were at fault, and those two people were Elena and Damon.<p>

_He'd be damned if either he or Bonnie are blamed for the heartbreak they were going through._

He hears someone ring the doorbell. His vampiric senses perk up, and he immediately recognizes the person at the door as Caroline. _Why, though?_ Why is Caroline at his door in the middle of the day when she could be off shopping or coordinating another disastrous dance?

Nonetheless, Stefan heads over to the door, hesitating before he reaches for the knob. What if she is here to lecture him about Elena? Can he really stand to listen to her—or anyone—give him the whole "You must offer her another chance; you two belong together" speech?

What Elena and Damon committed hurt. Hurt like hell. Hundreds of knives have been shoved into his stomach, and none of them have caused the same ripple of pain as what they did.

However Stefan understands that he cannot get into these thoughts now.

"Caroline," he says, swiftly opening the door to reveal the chipper blonde. He scratches the back of his neck. "Elena's not here."

"I know."

He scrunches up his face. "Bonnie's not here, either."

"I know, she's gone to visit Lucy. I came here to see you," she clarifies, speaking the words he has been dreading to hear. _It has been a while since he and Caroline have spent any time together, and now, they will be spending their first quality time together...in a counseling session? _The idea does not appeal to Stefan at all. "Contrary to popular belief and your reputation, you can't brood over Elena forever. I helped Bonnie. I want to help you, too. We're going hunting."

And although they will be discussing his and Elena's relationship, Stefan is relieved that Caroline understands* the concept of time healing all wounds, and not forcing him to take Elena back.

"Besides, Tyler is out of town this week, and a girl gets bored."

Caroline flashes him a wide smile to match his anxious one.

Eventually he nods and allows her to take his hand and lead him to the forest, not that he needs the extra help in navigation.

"So, how have you been handling this whole mess?" Caroline begins as they walk out of his driveway.

"Well, I hit Damon."

"Good for you!" Caroline holds up her hand in the air, expecting a high-five. She doesn't get one.

Stefan laughs for what seems like the first time in ages. _Caroline has the tendency to do that to people, and that's her saving grace._

"You don't have to be my therapist, Caroline," he adds quietly as his laughter dies down.

She stops walking in her tracks, and the corners of her mouth turn into a frown. "I'm not being your therapist, Stefan. I'm being your _friend_."

He sees the warmness in her eyes. "Thank you."

She laughs, linking her arm accordingly with his. "That's more like it. Let's go find some bunnies."

* * *

><p>"Damon told me he loved me."<p>

The elder witch drops her jaw and nearly spits out her small sip of wine.

"Hon, that's wonderful!" she exclaims.

Bonnie ponders how "wonderful" Lucy truly finds it. She was never a fan of her and Damon's relationship, especially because she walked in when they were in the premise of breaking up. Honestly, even Bonnie isn't a fan of her and Damon's relationship. But how can Lucy be so supportive of her and Damon? He is everything Lucy is supposed to hate in the form of a beautifully chiseled man. _He is everything Bonnie is supposed to hate, too. Too bad he's become the exact opposite._

"He lied in a pathetic attempt to keep me," she continues without conveying any emotion. "He doesn't love me; never has, never will. He loves Elena." She spits out Elena's name harshly, her voice unintentionally dripping with venom.

If there's anything a Bennett witch can do well, it's holding a grudge._That and frying the brains of vampires all across the globe._

Lucy places a comforting hand on Bonnie's knee, knowing that her younger cousin is now in the Anger stage and has made a grand entrance. Bonnie feels a wave of magic wash over her as their skin touch. It travels through her veins, leaving her feeling powerful and safe. It's exhilarating. For a second, she feels like she doesn't need Damon at all. _For a second._

"I've seen Damon look at Elena, and I've also seen Damon look at you. She has nothing on you, sweetie."

Bonnie has never noticed _how_Damon looks at her. She has always concentrated on the whys and the feelings that bubbled in her stomach.

"How...how does he look at me?" she asks quietly. _Not that she cares._

A large grin spreads across Lucy's face. "Like you're the most intriguing person he has ever laid his sight on." Bonnie feels blush creeping up on her cheeks, not that she would admit it. "You fascinate him, Bonnie. You challenge him. That's something Elena will never do. I don't think there's a thing he wouldn't do for you, darling."

"Except give Elena up."

"Feelings can change." Lucy sounds very certain on that. Bonnie raises an eyebrow, remaining skeptical. "With realizations and experiences and moments of truth, feelings can change," she repeats, staring Bonnie straight in the eye.

"Not the feelings he had for her."

_Not the feelings Bonnie had for him._

* * *

><p>"I told Bonnie I loved her."<p>

The hunter drops his jaw, along with the glass of scotch he was sipping from. The glass hits the floor with a loud bang, shattering into a million small pieces at once. Damon laughs bitterly. Just like his heart.

Alaric curses under his breath and quickly goes to a dusty corner to pull out a broom. "Well, I'm proud of you, buddy. Should I break out the champagne?"

"She walked away."

Ric stops gathering the glass pieces and freezes. Opens his mouth. Closes it. Opens. Closes. It goes on like that for a while as he struggles to find the words to show his sympathy without pissing Damon off.

"Oh," he finally settles with.

Yes, _oh_.

Alaric gives up on cleaning up his mess all together, setting the broom aside with a sigh of defeat. He sits down on a barstool and crosses his arms in front of his chest, ready to hear the full story._Or at least Damon's edited version of the story where he leaves out the parts where he most likely went through three boxes of Kleenex._

"Did you chase after her? Please tell me you chased after her or I might have to sucker-punch you, buddy."

"Stefan already beat you to it. Sorry."

"You should've gone after her."

Damon is going to explode. "I didn't _have_ to go after her. Do I look like Ross fucking Geller to you?"

"...Was that a Friends reference?" Alaric bites the inside of his mouth to refrain from bursting out with laughing.

Damon is taken back to the night he snuck in through Bonnie's window and they wound up watching episode after episode of the '90s sitcom. Bonnie rested her head on his broad shoulder and even allowed him to wrap his arms around her. It was a sign of her showing trust. Her hair smelled like her lilac shampoo, and it invaded all of his senses. Lilac is a scent he fancies more, opposed to the common ones such as vanilla and coconut. Lilac is Bonnie's smell. He likes Bonnie's smell. He likes Bonnie's everything.

The memory has always been a fond one. Now it feels more like someone reached into his chest and twisted his heart from left to right.

Damon really wants to punch something right now. Preferably a certain blonde-haired blue-eyed busboy. Or maybe himself, even.

"But anyway, if you love her as much as you claim you do, you should've ran after her."

"She didn't want to be chased," he states pointedly.

He knows that Ric has a point though, and a solid one at that. He never proved to Bonnie that he loved her. He just tapped into her emotions and hoped for the best.

"Rule Number One: Every woman wants to be chased, whether she admits it or not," he informs his vampire drinking pal in a very solemn tone. Damon snickers and rolls his eyes, nonetheless. "She left Lucy's to go to the Grill not too long ago. You can sit here and sulk and drink with me in a pile of broken glass, or you can finally go chase after her when you realize I'm right. And here's a hint, Damon: I'm always right."

Alaric sends Damon a smirk of arrogance. Damon is the one who taught him that smirk.

He really doesn't want to take Ric's advice. He does, anyway.

* * *

><p>Damon parks his cars in front of the Grill, yanks his keys out of the ignition, and sits still, blankly staring at the door ahead of him.<p>

It would have been beneficial to think this through.

He doesn't know what he's going to do when he goes in there. Is he supposed to tell her off for being wrong about him and his feelings toward her? Is he supposed to attempt to elaborate and get all tongue-tied and adolescently-embarrassing in front of her? Or is he just supposed to grab her and kiss her and let the kiss explain the feelings he can't transfer into words?

He can't go up to her and proclaim his love for her. He's not going to Lucas Scott her. He's not a romantic.

He's Damon goddamn Salvatore, and he's never had to fight so hard for a girl before_. He's never wanted to, either._

Damon hops out of his car and walks straight into the Grill with faux confidence.

It only takes a second for him to spot her. Her lilac scent alone is enough. She is sitting cross-legged at the end of the bar, twirling a plastic straw around in her cup. It is a short matter of time before her witch senses kick in, and she knows he is here and watching her.

Her head sky-rockets up immediately. She looks at him with his disheveled hair and wrinkled, un-slept-in gray tee-shirt. He is still the most attractive person she has ever seen.

He makes his way down the bar until he is standing right in front of her, making it harder for her to breathe.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted a drink at my local bar. Sue me," he says sarcastically with a devilish grin.

"I take it you're feeling better than you were last night?"

He shrugs. The pain is still there. It doesn't matter if he's better. Everything would still hurt anyway. He would never be okay.

"Not quite. See, Witchy, I'm here to chase you," he replies bluntly.

"You're here...to...chase me?" Bonnie's forehead creases confusedly.

"I shouldn't have let you get away last night. Or every other time I let you go." He exhales deeply, bringing his cold fingers up to her delicate face and brushing the fallen strands of hair away. Her caramel skin buzzes wildly at his touch. "Maybe you've been pretending like you don't know that I love you because...you really don't know."

He meets her mossy eyes with his pale ones and suddenly, he's absolutely mesmerized by her. He hears her heart rate pick up. Her soft lips are parted, as if she wants to speak but has lost the ability to.

"I..." he begins then falters off. "I love you."

He swears her heart stops beating all together.

She feels the air getting sucked out of her lungs. Her chest tightens._Oh, my god, she's going to have a panic attack_. She waits for it. She waits for the shaking hands, the clammy feel of her palms, the hyperventilating. They don't come. She just sits there on the bar stool, struggling to collect oxygen molecules and unable to look away from the man who confessed his love for her, and _she's not even sure she believes him._

His eyes are sincere. The blue has never been so clear before. His face has never been so real before. She wonders if this is one of the special ways he looks at her. And she even wonders for a second if this face of sincerity is what Damon wore when he was a human.

"Hey, Bon, you ready to g—" Matt walks out of the back room, throwing a dish rag over his shoulder but freezing when he witnesses the scene playing in front of him.

Both Bonnie and Damon snap their attention to the All-American Busboy. Matt whistles lowly. Awkward.

"Um," Bonnie breathes out, finally managing to muster out a sound. "Yeah."

She feels Damon's hands drop from caressing the side of her face. She looks back at him,

"I have to go," she whispers. "I have a date."

A black hole of pain sucks him in. He's sure of it.

Bonnie can't comprehend what he's thinking. He dons an expressionless face.

"I'm sorry, Damon," she tells him, not knowing what else to say.

He doesn't flinch.

"Y'know what, Bonnie, maybe we should just re-schedule," Matt cuts in, wiping the counter top.

"What? No, Matt, really. That's unnecessary."

"I think it is," he says otherwise, staring directly at the tall vampire behind her.

"I agree," Damon concedes darkly.

"You don't get a say in this, Damon," Bonnie snaps, finding her voice quickly. She doesn't know where the sweet man from a couple seconds ago went. If she knows Damon, which she does, she knows that he is perfectly capable of starting at zero and shooting up to sixty in less than a millisecond.

"Of course I do," he deadbeats. He takes her hand and drags her out of the Grill without a trace of trepidation.

"You left your drink!" Matt calls out to Bonnie as he watches her getting whisked away by her Dark Knight.

The two of them stand outside without facing each other. Bonnie with her arms folded. Damon with his arms begging to be around Bonnie's.

"You had no right to do that," she starts.

"Do you hear yourself?" Damon questions rhetorically, scrunching his face up. "You're going on a date with Donovan? You really traded down, Witch."

"I fucking hate you."

Thunder cracks, and it starts pouring. Damon has pissed off enough witches in the past to know never to toy with their unstable emotions._ He never learns._

"Dammit, Bonnie, this isn't the way this was supposed to go."

They're getting wet. The rain falls heavily on them both, matting their hair to their foreheads and sticking their jeans to their legs.

She makes a sharp turn to face him. "Did you think I would reciprocate that love? How could I ever love someone like you, Damon? You're a sad, egotistical murderer."

"Go on," he dares, taunting her.

"You're reckless, impulsive, selfish...you just figure that it's okay to shut your emotions off because you're a vampire and I HATE that FUCKING smirk of yours and that thing you do with your eyes."

"Look at me." He doesn't say it like a command.

She does as he asks, to Damon's surprise.

"Do you know what I hate the most about you?" she inquires through her clenched teeth. "That even after all of this, I still care. I still fucking care, and it sucks because you'll never love me the way you do Elena."

"You're right; there is a difference between my feelings for you and my feelings for that doe-eyed doppelgänger," Damon starts, disclosing the space between them, the soaking wet clothing between them. "I don't feel anything for Elena, and I feel everything—an overwhelming load of _everything_—for you."

"You were crazy for Elena."

"I wanted her because she reminded me of the Katherine I knew and loved when I was human. She made me feel that way, and I loved her for that." He blows out a mouthful of air.

"You can't just tell me that, Damon. You can't just say you don't love her anymore...that you never really loved her."

He exhales. "I miss being human. I miss it more than anything in the world. But that's not a reason to love someone. A reason to love someone is...is if she makes me feel like I'm not human anymore, and that's okay. That it's not the end of the world. If I died in 1864, I would've never met you and, dammit, that's the best thing that's ever happened to me in my far too many years of living. No matter how annoying you can be."

He thinks he is about to lose it when he sees tears brimming at the bottom of her eyes. They stream down her face until they mix in with the raindrops that have amassed onto the surface of her skin.

"I don't want to be your second choice, Damon. Fuck, Damon. I can't be your second choice. You're my first. Always have been since the day you kissed me."

"Have you heard a single thing I've said?" he demands frustratedly, tugging at the ends of his drenched hair. "You're not a pathetic second choice, Judgey."

She shakes her head. He doesn't know what to make of that. She just looks _done. _Like nothing he can say has the power to make a difference.

"Call me Bonnie," she says. "Just call me Bonnie."

His heart sinks to his stomach. The emptiness in her eyes is life-ending. There must be something he can say to make her see what he feels, but the words fail to land on his tongue. There must be something he can say but if "I love you" wasn't enough, then he doesn't really know what anymore. He takes the hand she uses to wipe away a tear and holds it close to his chest, holding on with everything he has. He's holding onto her.

"If you love me like you claim you do," she whispers softly, staring blankly down at their hands connected, "then let me go."

* * *

><p><em>"Just tonight<em>

_I will see it's all because of me."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So I couldn't really stand how everyone was giving Elena shit, but Damon was only getting blamed by Bonnie, so I added Stefan in there for kicks. And we also got some Steroline exchanges in there. So pick your team wisely: Stelena or Steroline? And Damon finally gave his heart to Bonnie, only to be pushed away. Sigh.

Please leave a review of your thoughts, questions, comments, what you want to see, etc.

Thanks so much for reading. Really.

- Alexis xo


	13. Chapter 12: Dancing Out On 7th Street

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries and its characters. All rights go to creators LJ Smith, Julie Plec, and Kevin Williamson. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: Dancing Out On 7th Street<p>

_"Laughing with your pretty mouth_

_Laughing with your broken eyes_

_Laughing with your lover's tongue_

_In a lullaby."_

Bethany Joy Lenz and Tyler Hilton, "When the Stars Go Blue"

* * *

><p>"Red or black?" Caroline inquires, holding up two different yet similar dresses, both equally scantily, in her hands.<p>

Bonnie narrows her opaque green eyes. "Black." She's sure of it.

"Red, it is!" Caroline chirps, blatantly disregarding Bonnie's comment. "Jeez, black? Damon sure did a number on you."

The witch snorts at the very mention of his name, though her heart skips a little and she's sure that Caroline picks up on that detail. She's just thankful that she doesn't point it out and instead decides to rummage through her jewelry box in search for an abundance of necklaces, rings, and anything that dazzles and sparkles.

"What's wrong with the black one? It goes better with that pearl necklace."

Caroline tosses said necklace aside. "Black is the color of death."

"And red symbolizes blood."

_Bonnie swears she's back in her eighth grade Literary Analysis class. _

The blonde merely shakes her head condescendingly, sweeping her eyes through her collection of accessories once more. She carefully selects a ring with a gemstone the size of an engagement ring only a Salvatore would be eligible to buy.

"I'm a vampire," Caroline states, admiring the beauty on her finger as it catches the light.

"And I'm a witch," Bonnie concurs. "Hasn't this been established already?"

Caroline sighs a large, theatrical sigh, unwillingly tearing her eyes off her hand. "Compromise: I wear the red, you wear the black. You can match with D-Salv."

It highly disturbs Bonnie how Caroline speaks of them as if they are still together.

To get Caroline off her back, Bonnie slips in details about Matt in everyday conversation, but Damon never exits her mind. She constantly wonders what could have happened and where she would be right now if she didn't make him let go.

"I would rather wear a paper bag over my head to the dance," Bonnie responds finally.

"Actually, I think a bun would be more elegant."

* * *

><p>Stefan and Caroline stroll through the woods in a friendlier fashion than one would assume two vampires would walk in. Caroline graciously offered to accompany him on his hunting trip once again. Of course he took her up on that offer. Despite how he still believed she was playing therapist, his gums were aching <em>badly.<em>

She watches him stop mid-way to activate his senses. His forehead crinkles as he concentrates and then he's off. A whoosh of wind greets her as he swiftly runs to the forest animal and sinks his teeth into its skin. It's fast and he's back in no time, leaving the carcass on the leaf-splattered ground.

Meanwhile, Caroline grimaces. She will never understand the appeal of animal blood, although it is not like Stefan has much of a choice. However it's still undeniable that watching a vampire hunt is both excruciatingly painful and _extraordinary._

"Are you good?" she asks as he returns.

"It should be enough to sustain me for a while." He wets his lips to rid himself of the remaining traces of animal blood.

Caroline laughs, seeing as he has failed. "You missed a spot, Stef."

She takes it upon herself to bring her hand up to his mouth and handle it for him. Aimlessly, she uses her thumb to brush off the corner smeared with blood. Stefan freezes as they make sudden contact, and all he is able to focus on is her finger that seems to be burning against his cool skin. When she unintentionally grazes his bottom lip, he parts them and thanks the gods above that Caroline can't hear his nonexistent heartbeat. She raises her eyes up to Stefan's, whose haven't left her the entire time, and expects him to stare back at her amusedly. Instead, his gaze is intoxicating.

After a few good seconds, she unwillingly removes her hand, and Stefan clears her throat. If either of them could blush, they would both be flushed with burgundy.

"So, Tyler's been back for a few days now," she begins, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"How is he?" He surprises himself with his nonchalant voice.

"He's good." The remembrance of her boyfriend makes her smile earnestly. "He was finally getting used to the whole sire-bond thing, then we killed Klaus, and...it's crazy but...he's good."

Stefan nods benevolently. "I know these changes haven't been easy for him."

"They really haven't," she concurs. "Even with his contribution to Klaus's death, it's been difficult for him to adjust."

He glances at her again and tips his head down to look at his shoes. "One moment, you're one thing, and suddenly, you're another."

Whether it be going from a human to a vampire, a human to a werewolf, or a werewolf to a hybrid then back to a werewolf again, change is never easy. Releasing the past and accepting the new circumstances is always a challenge, and Tyler has gone through it so many times,_ he doesn't deserve it anymore._

"Exactly. And I've just been trying to _be there_ for him, but he avoids me. He needs his space, I get that! But...that whole week when he was out of town, he didn't text me _once_."

And in Caroline's world, communication is everything.

Stefan takes note of her dismay, the way her eyes dull and eyebrows furrow. "You can't be everyone's safety net, Caroline."

"It's Tyler," she counters immediately. "I care about him so much; I don't want him to shut me out," she whispers.

"Trust me, Caroline, no one could _ever_ shut you out."

* * *

><p>Elena repeatedly crosses and uncrosses her arms across her chest, trying to ignore the churning feeling in her stomach. The scene unfolding in front of her is one that belongs in her scariest nightmare as Caroline jumps around and sways from side to side in Stefan's arms, and he occasionally laughs at something she tells him.<p>

He seems to be having fun with Caroline. More fun than he's had all century. More fun than he's had with her.

She feels sick.

And as Stefan twirls the chirpy blonde around and smiles at her with completely adoration, Elena realizes that she doesn't feel jealousy as much as she does fear. She is scared of losing Stefan, once and for all. She is being pushed further and further away from him until he is merely a figure out of many in a large picture.

Stefan is letting her get pushed away.

_She cannot get pushed away._

Before she even acknowledges what she is doing, Elena marches up to them.

_She cannot get pushed away_.

"You guys look good together," she snidely remarks.

The pair stops in their tracks and freezes. Caroline's smile fades, but Stefan's stays on his face, as if he is completely unfazed by her presence, and there is a high chance that he is. With a clear of her throat at the apparent awkwardness of the situation, Caroline untangles herself from Stefan.

"Don't do this, Elena," Stefan's warning is a mumble but still very clear.

_She cannot get pushed away_.

"The double standards are too much. Caroline can throw herself on you while she's with Tyler, but I can't even breathe around Damon? Really?" The words exit her mouth in a more insolent way than intended.

Stefan loves the girl. He really does. That doesn't stop him from wanting to roll his eyes at her accusation, though.

"Take a look around this room, Elena. It's a dance. We were just dancing like everyone else here," Caroline rationalizes.

"Yeah, well you should go 'just dance' with your boyfriend, Tyler."

Stefan's jaw tightens. His lips form a thin line as he sustains his stoic expression. "Elena."

"Stefan," she mimics. The doppelgänger returns to crossing her arms._ Back to square one. _

"No, I think she's right. Tyler needs to stop shutting me out, and he can't do that if I'm not with him. Thanks, Elena."

And somewhere between the moment when Stefan looks at her in a way that he's never looked at her before and Caroline sucks in a sharp breath like she's been stung, Elena is woken up.

"Caroline, I'm sor—"

"Me too. Elena, I love you, and you're still my best friend, no matter what." Caroline reaches out and gives her hand a small, half-hearted squeeze. "But you can't keep doing this. You can't continue to say things and do things without thinking over them. And I know you don't mean to do any of this. I know you can't recognize the wrong in your actions. I know. I know because...before I became a vampire, I was not only the Queen of sophomore prom, but the Queen of screwing things up. You have to stop for a second and think about what you have done. Look at Bonnie, look at Damon, look at Stefan! You're hurting people I care about, and you're hurting people you care about, and that's not okay with either one of us." She exhales deeply, releasing the negative emotions out of her system. "I'm going to go find Tyler. Enjoy your evenings and check out the concession table because I spent a lot of time deciding on the snacks."

Elena can only watch the vampire walk off with less bounce in her step than usual but nevertheless the same amount of confidence. It's official; Caroline has told her off too many times. But every time, Elena is left with an open mouth and no sentences to compose. The girl never ceases to stun and burn her, all at once.

It is when Caroline is all the way across the room when Stefan asks, "Why did you do that?"

"I don't—" and then Elena stops herself because that excuse is becoming too redundant, even for her. "Dance with me, Stefan. Please."

She is starting to forget the way he held her in his arms and kissed her forehead chastely.

He just stares at her dubiously upon her request. She doesn't blame him._ Her motives have been questionable lately._

With a moment of visible trepidation, Stefan offers her his hand which she takes thankfully. The touch of her skin is comforting, though he has played this round many times and has gotten his heart broken every single time.

And although Elena sways to the rhythm of the song, Stefan doesn't follow the beat the way he used to. He remains stiff as he holds her. He has never been much of a voluntary dancer, but he always made an exception for her.

_That "always" is changing, apparently._

She traces the outline of his suit jacket with a sad smile on her face that he doesn't quite understand. It is as if she is trying to take in every inch of him, absorb every detail_. It is as if she is trying to recreate one last happy moment between them, one she can hold dear to her heart. _Because the way things ended between them wasn't satisfying. It was devastating and hopeless and broken, just like them, the people who were involved in it.

"Elena," Stefan says quietly. "You still haven't figured out your feelings. I'm giving you time to do that."

She stops in her tracks. "By parading around your new-found love with Caroline around?" _She looks down-right offended. _

"Caroline is bright and brilliant and a wonderful _friend_." The word rolls of his tongue, but it doesn't sound correct, as if he mispronounced it. _Ignored_.

She raises a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Okay, okay, Stefan. I'm sorry. Let's not talk about that and ruin our night. Dance with me. I just want to be with you right now."

_Right now_ strike him harder than they should.

But he doesn't say a word._ Let her have her night, let her believe the false memories. _Let her remember the story of two warriors and dreamers who met and fell in love and saved each other, and even when the sun came up, their love never faded like the stars. Not the alternate story where obstacles blocked their path and love wasn't enough for either of them at the end.

He feels her body radiate heat as she rests her head on his shoulders, arms linked behind his back.

He wants to be with her. Not for her and her peculiar attempt at making amends with herself, but for himself. He knows he can't let her back in, though. Until she fully understands her feelings for him and her feelings for his _brother_, there can be nothing between them but history and mutual respect.

It's just _hard_.

There are times when she brings about so much genuineness and warmth, and that's what he loves about her. She delivers love to him and injects it straight into his veins.

_She is his happiness._

And this dance, it feels all too familiar. They have danced like this millions of times before under plenty of different circumstances, but she has never clung onto him as tightly before. Every move has never seemed as crucial. The music has never played so slowly before.

They're like the old Elena and Stefan. Just sadder.

"I love you," she whispers.

And just like that, he stops moving all together, as if he was doing more than rocking back and forth in the first place.

"Why are you doing this, Elena?"

"I don't want to lose you."

There's a brief pause and Stefan's heart could stop beating if it ever did otherwise. The feelings of melancholy dissolve. He places his hands on both of her shoulders and gently pushes her back until they are no longer Stefan and Elena, the lovers reconnected for one night, but Stefan and Elena, the individuals with history and mutual respect.

And what he does for himself isn't letting her in, it's letting her go.

"You lost me a long time ago."

With that, he is gone.

* * *

><p>After the fourth crowd scan, Bonnie officially gives up on trying to spot Damon in the crowd. To say that she feels uncomfortable is an understatement.<p>

She tugs at the hemline of her dress that Caroline so graciously offered her, but it refuses to go any lower than mid-thigh. Of course her blonde friend looks stunning, lavished in pearls and feathers. _Whereas she just looks and feels pathetic, in a dress that's too short for her liking and matching the monochrome color scheme of her ex-boyfriend who isn't even here. _Truthfully, the idea was a million times better when Caroline pitched it.

And it is completely cringe-worthy and self-deprecating how she is even searching for the light-eyed vampire in the first place because, _God_, how does she even have the audacity to do that after turning down his apologies?

_She doesn't regret her decision. _Bonnie deems it is just because she wanted to match with him tonight, for whatever reason she is not willing to admit.

With something that is a mix between a sigh of defeat and a frustrated groan, the young witch throws away her second cup of fruit punch that resembles plastic. It is not spiked, and she can't decide if she's thankful for that.

"Hey, Bonnie."

At the mention of her name, she snaps her attention to the amiable boy-next-door. A smile draws itself on her face as she dives in to envelope him in a hug.

"You okay?" he continues, concluding the hug with pat on the back. _Matt's a good person like that._

"I'm alive, and I'm breathing, so I guess it depends on your definition of okay."

He laughs. She laughs with him. It almost feels good.

"Are things still rough between you and..." and then he trails off, not wanting to displease her with the mention of the dark-haired vampire's name.

Bonnie nods because there is no point in avoiding that particular topic. It was bound to come up at some point.

Matt scratches the back of his neck in uneasiness, a gesture that makes Bonnie internally swoon, then proceeds to chip in his two-cents. "You know, I can't believe I'm about to advocate for the guy, but he really seems to care about you."

She lifts a shoulder in an attempt to brush off this fact casually. It's not like she is unaware of it. Damon cares about her, _hell_, he's made it clear that he loves her. And maybe it is just her notorious judgmental side kicking in, but she's not sure if a few heartfelt words can and should excuse actions.

"I know he does. I just need time," she replies simply, trying once again to shrug it off like none of it matters. "We rushed into things so fast; it's hard to believe that his feelings for Elena disappeared after he and I started dating. It doesn't _work_ like that." Being as she was a servant of nature, she was stringent on the way things, ideas, and persons worked and functioned.

"That's true, but his feelings could have been diminished, little by little. It happens to everyone."

As a person who was also head over heels for Elena once upon a time, Matt would know.

When he first attended to the duo on their first date, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. At first he believed they were just there for a meeting concerning the well-being of their common interest, Elena Gilbert. But as he swiped tables clear of dirty dishes, he heard Bonnie laughing and caught Damon concentrating on the sound of it too many times. He hysterically realized that Bonnie and Damon were not in a meeting but on a date.

He presses his lips together into a thin line. "I always thought Damon did one-night-stands, not relationships."

"Maybe you were right," Bonnie laments.

"Bonnie."

"I'm sorry. I...I'm not mad at him."

"Doesn't mean he's hurting any less."

Her eyebrows shoot up. Matt is not known for taking Damon's side, after all.

The air is thicker between the two friends after that conversation, but they are comfortable enough with each other that they can look past it.

"So are you going to dance with me or what?" Matt asks jokingly, a huge grin appearing his face.

"Ummm _yes," _Bonni_e _exclaims, dragging the football star out of the sidelines and onto the dance floor.

It is no secret that Bonnie Bennett can dance. Intensive ballet lessons from her youth through her adolescence has done her well. She is light on her feet as Matt places his hands on her hips and they flow with the jazz that blares out of the speakers. The night is finally turning around.

_And from afar, Damon watches her dance with her smooth moves and black dress, all of which are too good for that boy she's with._

* * *

><p>The crisp air greets Stefan as he steps outside, loafers tapping on the cement ground of the Mystic Falls High School parking lot. Trees sweep from side to side, in sync with one another. In the few square centimeters between the leaves, he sees the moonlight peering in. <em>He enjoys this town more than he will ever be willing to admit;<em> it's his home, after all. How can he not?

While Mystic Falls holds some of his more doleful memories, it also holds some of his most cherished ones.

He can remember the way he watched his mother sew for leisure, concentrating on the scrupulous work, and even further back than that, when his mother told him to stay away from the forests. She always dabbed perfume on her wrists and drank tea twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. And even though he was never close to the woman as Damon was, something inside of him twists when he remembers being merely a child and witnessing his kind-hearted mother on her deathbed. He gained compassion from his mother who taught him to take others into consideration and love and love and love, always.

A bitter memory is of his father and if Damon didn't receive his tendency to alienate others and fend only for himself from Giuseppe Salvatore, then he might as well be damned._ In all honesty, they both inherited that particular trait from him. _Giuseppe Salvatore pushed both him and his brother to do this and do that, to thrust all their energy into academics, to attend a prestigious college, to be strong men, not_ cowards. _And when Damon went off to join the Confederate army, he was being anything _but_ a coward yet their father never let them see past that.

Damon.

Damon whom he loved and admired. He was just so _cool_ and never afraid to stand up to anyone. His brother was fearless, or so he thought, and invincible. And at ten when Stefan was asked what he wanted to be when he reached adulthood, his response was: "a person like my brother."

And whether it was throwing around a football with his brother or staying up past regulated evening hours, every moment with his brother, pre-Katherine, was rather beautiful in its own quirky way.

Stefan puffs out a cloudy breath of wistfulness.

If he ever receives the chance of traveling back in time and changing the course of his actions, would he take it? There would have been no Stefan-Katherine-Damon and consequentially no Stefan-Elena-Damon. Maybe Damon would have overlooked Stefan force-feeding him into vampirism and their relationship would have been restored.

_But deep down, the brooding vampire knows that his relationship with his brother is far beyond repair._

And if having no loss means never having experienced the love he felt and, quite reluctantly, feels for Elena, too, then he wouldn't take it.

"You think too much."

Stefan shuts his eyelids closed. He was not aware that Damon came tonight, for he was set with a glass of bourbon and a copy of _Gone With the Wind_ when he left the boarding house. His sharpness and accuracy is severely dulled by his diet, but it sure beats the alternative. _Plus, he has to give his brother credit for having excellent timing._

"Damon. I didn't know you were here."

"_Gotta love the Roaring Twenties_," he says with a wink followed by a chuckle. Between tearing humans apart and sipping champagne with Klaus, Stefan isn't sure if that decade is his most fond time period.

"Have you talked to Bonnie?" That wipes Damon's smirk off his face, and Stefan has his answer. "Damon, you're a dick. Bonnie is a nice girl, and she deserves better than you."

"Thanks, bro."

"But you're still my family, and I want you to be happy."

This astonishes Damon though he refuses to show it._ And he thought his ties with Stefan were nearly severed._

"I blew the only chance I had at that," he says instead of thanking him.

"Regardless, you should keep trying," Stefan maintains his calm and collected tone, knowing that's the best way to get through to his stubborn brother. He turns to face him. "We both know you're going to be a pain in the ass about it if you don't."

Damon fights the urge to smile but fails because if anyone knows him, it's Stefan. His sealed mouth opens to say something equally snarky and appreciative when Stefan raises his hand to interrupt him.

"I don't want to hear it, Damon. Just go back in there and get her back, even if it takes a thousand attempts." _And at this rate, it probably will_.

He obliges, standing up a bit straighter. Stefan stares at him as he re-enters the school building, admiring his strength and suddenly he feels as if he is ten years old again, looking up to his cool and invincible brother._ It's not a bad feeling, not at all._

Stefan shoves his hands into his pockets, inhaling one last breath of the promising evening air.

When he is about to head back in as well, he catches a glimpse of a pale figure with flowing moonlight waves and crystal eyes, clad in a red dress, standing at the opposite end of the lot.

_That is not Caroline._

* * *

><p><em>"Dancing little marionette,<em>

_Are you happy now?"_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> And scene! I stated in the first chapter that this story did not follow the plot lines of the show in Season 3, and because I uploaded this fic during the S3 hiatus, it was implied at the time that the time frame was set sometime after 3x09, which still applies. I really wanted to just let my creative energy flow with this fic and not be restricted by the course of the show. Sorry for the lack of Bamon interaction, it didn't fit in with the direction of this chapter. But we kind of saw how much Stefan needs Elena, the same way she is very much dependent on really just anyone who offers her the slightest bit of stability and safety in her life. I guess where they take their relationship and themselves as individuals from here on out is really up to them now.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, opinions, questions, and feedback! Thank you for reading :)

Until next time,

Alexis.


	14. Chapter 13: Dark Eyes Become Divine

**Author's Note:** In which Rebekah's return stirs up trouble and all hell breaks loose. And possibly some Bamon action.

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries and its characters. All rights go to creators LJ Smith, Julie Plec, and Kevin Williamson. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

><p><em>Previously:<em>

_Stefan shoves his hands into his pockets, inhaling one last breath of the promising evening air._

_When he is about to head back in as well, he catches a glimpse of a pale figure with flowing moonlight waves and crystal eyes, clad in a red dress, standing at the opposite end of the lot._

That is not Caroline_._

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: Dark Eyes Become Divine<p>

_"I've been waiting for the dark to come_

_My salvation and temptation_."

Scanners, "Salvation"

* * *

><p>"Are you <em>sure<em> it was her?" Damon inquires for the ninth time, eyes still wide as saucers with incredulousness. "Maybe all that animal blood is starting to get to your head."

Stefan shakes his head, knowing what he saw. The luminescent hair, thin lips in a ghost of a devilish smile, and eyes that directly took him back to the 1920s more than any decades dance could. There is no uncertainty.

"It was her, Damon."

The dark-haired vampire curses under his breath, slamming his glass of bourbon on the table._ Just his luck_. Damon should know by now that circumstances can _always_ worsen in Mystic Falls.

"Why is Barbie Klaus back?"

All Stefan can do is muster up a shrug. "No idea."

"Dammit," he mutters under his breath.

"How do you think she'll react when she discovers we killed Klaus?"

"What, her beloved, not-so-sweet _brother_?" Damon seethes. "I don't think she'll exactly invite us over for tea."

"You don't think she knows already, do you?"

"Doesn't matter. She's an _Original_, for God's sake, revenge courses through that family's blood."

Frustrated, Damon kicks a leg of the table that he abused with his whiskey glass a couple seconds ago. Questions swim through his mind rapidly and all he wants to do is tear their entire library apart because he, call him presumptuous, already knows how this is going to end. _And the outcome isn't going to be in their favor._

"Last I heard, she was locked away in that coffin."

"Not anymore."

Damon rolls his eyes at his brother's obvious statement but resists the urge to send a rebuttal that illustrates his irritation. "How did she even get out?" He throws his hands up in the air in typical-Damon fashion, only to briefly arrive at a pause. Then suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle fit together impeccably. "Stefan."

"Yes, Damon?"

"Who did you put in charge of daggering Elijah back to _sleep_?"

"Ele—" He shuts his mouth closed as realization dawns over him.

"Get the gang here, _now," _Damon demands through his clenched teeth_. _"We have a situation on our hands."

* * *

><p>Rebekah Mikaelson stalks the day in her studded stilettos, watching her prey from afar.<p>

She smooths out the fabric of her jeans, finally having rid herself of the dress she never got to present herself in, thanks to the doppelgänger. Her lips part as she approaches the college student who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Without a blink of an eye, she grips the teenager by his scrawny arm and sinks her teeth into his artery before he can shout in refusal.

It doesn't take long for her to drain him dry. _Sue her, she's thirsty as hell_. Several months spent locked up in a coffin does that to a vampire. She tosses the lifeless body aside, smacks her lips together, and smiles.

The police and city council can decide how to handle and who to blame for these sudden deaths.

_She considers it a warm-up compared to what she'll do to Elena._

* * *

><p>"What do you mean <em>she's<em> back?"

"This is a joke, right?"

"Are you _sure_ it was her?"

The last line of dialogue is served by Bonnie, whose eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. The brothers trade a glance, both acknowledging how Damon reacted the same exact way with the same exact words as Bonnie. Stefan chuckles to himself amusedly, watching the two former lovers bear to be in the same roon as each other, though vigilantly standing at opposite ends of the library.

"No, we just code-reded all of you here," Damon gestures to the entire gang, featuring Alaric and Lucy, "so we can have a group marathon of the _Harry Potter_ movies."

Bonnie snorts. Damon is well-aware of her dislike towards the _Harry Potter_ chronicles and their mockery of magic. He knows all the right buttons of hers to push.

"Don't be sarcastic, Damon," Elena intercedes.

"You never had the right to tell me what I can or can't be, _Elena." _And he spits her name out with so much menace and venom dripping off his voice it makes her shudder and close her mouth.

A wave of stillness fills the room.

"Apologize to her, Damon," Stefan says lowly, and it's not a suggestion but a flat-out _order_, and Damon sees that like it's crystal but blatantly ignores his demand. With a small growl, Stefan advances towards his brother—

—Only to be tugged back by a forceful yank, courtesy of Caroline Forbes. She merely grins, silently communicating to him to not cause a scene that will blow the boarding house up into flames, and silently thinking to herself how he shouldn't be defending Elena in the first place. The cheerful vampire places a comforting hand on Stefan's shoulder and feels him ease up.

Elena notices this exchange and stiffens. _Somehow last night's accusation rings true to her_.

"Rebekah is back; I saw her last night," Stefan confirms, weaving his way back to their topic of discussion. "We don't know if she's up to anything, but we can presume that while Rebekah is around, no one is safe."

"Especially the girl that drove a dagger through her back," Damon adds snidely.

She heaves an uneasy sigh, backing away into the corner. _It seemed like a good idea at the time_.

"There was a report of mass murder on the news this morning," Alaric pipes up, drawing in everyone's attention. "Six victims sprawled throughout the town, all drained of blood."

The humans in the room visibly pale after hearing this news. Rebekah is not back for twenty-four hours, yet she is already stirring up trouble. _It is a bad day when Rebekah cares more for massacres than mascara._

"Speaking of which, how the _hell_ is she alive? Did she literally pull that thing out of herself while she was neutralized and trapped in a casket?" Caroline exclaims, breaking the silence and throwing herself into the conversation.

Stefan and Damon's eyes travel to the doppelgänger who has reared herself away from the group. "Ask Elena," they both reply simply.

"Ask me what?" she speaks up softly. _She can't possibly be responsible for this occurrence, can she?_

"Elena," Stefan eases gently. Caroline combats the urge to roll her eyes because if this whole mess is due to another one of _Elena's_ mistakes, then she's chucking up her deuces and getting the hell out of here. Stefan clears his throat awkwardly. "We think _Elijah_ may have undaggered his sister."

Gazes advert to the tall brunette immediately who shifts in her spot. Questions spring into their minds, the main one being: _what the hell does Elijah have to do with any of this?_

Her mouth falls open. The only words that escape off the tip of her tongue are,_ "_I-I can explain."

* * *

><p>"Dammit, Elijah, why must you insist on keeping the door locked?" Rebekah inquiries, the slam of the double doors echoing through the Victorian-style mansion. "Rather inconvenient, wouldn't you agree?"<p>

She drags her heels across the wooden floorboards, marching angrily up to her older brother sitting on a rocking chair in a crisply tailored suit.

"You were absent for a while," Elijah remarks, peering away from his novel to greet his sister who crashes through the door in a less than graceful entrance. He frowns disapprovingly at her shirt soaked in blood.

The blonde lifts a pale shoulder. "I wanted a snack or two...or six."

As per usual, she is fully complacent and smug with enticing red liquid dripping off her lips. Elijah heaves a sigh. He had forgotten how much of a hassle his sister is, though she was always the lesser of three devils, excluding himself and his long-neutralized brother, Finn.

"Please do not spiral out of control, Rebekah." He sets his book down on a nearby glass table and rises to his full height.

"We have nothing to worry about, _Elijah_," she enunciates his name as much as he does hers. "As far as the public is aware, the Salvatores are responsible for the deaths."

His eyes widen. "Did you really—"

"Of course not. But it is a rather obvious implication. Besides, I figure they will suffer enough after I rip that bitch's throat out," she allows casually, picking up Elijah's novel and scanning it carelessly.

"I would stop you before you even had the chance."

She grins. "Then I'm lucky I was your chosen sibling; I get several chances." _Oh, sibling banter_. If not for Elijah's mental and physical acuity, he'd recoil in alarm as Rebekah shuts the book closed and drops it back onto the table, along with her faux smile. "Well, that was fun and games and all, now let's cut to the chase, brother. Why did you undagger me?" She places a freshly-manicured hand on her hip and taps the soles of her polished Louboutins, exerting confidence in the only way she knows how.

_And that makes him stop for a fraction of a second. Just how does he explain to her that he wanted a part of his family back because too much trouble would be stirn up if Kol or Finn were resurrected, and Niklaus was dead, via his magnanimous blood donation? That does not make for appropriate small-talk._

"You're not complaining, are you?" he counters sharply, carefully working his way around the point of inquiry.

A corner of her mouth quirks up. "Not yet." She takes advantage of her time and circles him, heels clicking against the varnished mahogany. Her stare lands on a vertical picture frame encasing a photo of him and Niklaus in crisp suits and champagne flutes in their grasps. It sits on a side table without the company of any additional décor items. "So where is Nik? I cannot possibly imagine a doppelgänger managed to hurt him, too."

"He packed his bags and left. Last I heard, he was headed toward Chicago." The lie slips off his tongue with passivity, and there goes his famous title: Elijah Mikaelson, the honest and moral vampire of the millennium.

_What is a family without secrets?_

"As long as Niklaus is still lurking around, he won't dare let me tear his precious doppelgänger to shreds," Rebekah sighs disappointedly, examining the ends of her hair and making note to visit a hairdresser. A sinful smile flits upon her lips. "However, I do know of several _creative_ ways to torture her."

* * *

><p>"We need to do some damage control," Stefan announces. He rubs his palms together, a habit he has aquired over the years for when he is strategizing and cannot form coherent thoughts and dynamic strategies.<p>

Damon purses his lips together. "Dagger through the heart does the trick."

Cue eye rolls from every individual in the room minus Lucy who admires the vampire's occasional simplicity.

Bonnie clears her throat, drawing the attention to her. Damon tenses at the sound of her voice and clutches onto his fourth glass of bourbon a little too tight that if he adds any more force, the glass will shatter.

"Maybe we should sit tight until we understand what Rebekah is planning to do," she pitches.

"Witch, I know you don't have the super speed that we vampires have, but we need to be five steps _ahead_, not five steps _behind_."

"We don't know if she's out for revenge—" she begins, only to be cut off by the humorless laugh.

_"Elena stabbed her in the back, and then we proceeded to kill her brother. _Gee, what do you think?"

Bonnie narrows her dark green gaze, puzzled as to his sudden shift in attitude. She knows Rebekah's abrupt reappearance has set off a fuse in him, but why is he sending her his acerbic comments when just last night, he popped up at the dance, took her arm before she could protest...

...And kissed her with a kind of kiss that was planted on her mouth but sank beneath her skin, trembled her bones, and set fire to her heart, lips crashing onto lips with ferocity and need.

_Bonnie Bennett was having the time of her life, twirling around with the strong-built football player and laughing into his marine blue eyes. It was nice to have fun; it was nice to know fun. For the past few years, she had thought that "fun" was a nonexistent concept. And for the past few minutes, the night was purely about her being reaquainted* with this concept she used to know like the back of her hand._

_She couldn't help but frown when Matt stopped laughing and dancing with her. And maybe it was due to her psychic powers, but she knew the exact reason for the change in atmosphere. Matt coughed, straightened his jacket, and muttered a quick but hesitant goodbye to Bonnie. _

_"Evening."_

_She cursed to herself, yet she swiveled around to come face-to-face with him, anyway. He smirked, attempting to give off a cocky impression, but his eyes gave away far more than that. _

_"Dance with me?" And the moment at the nightclub flashed through her mind. He had offered his hand, waited for her response, and sputtered out an I Love You a little too confidently, though that was the only way Damon Salvatore ever did things. _

_But this time was different. He was raising a question without raising his voice. This time, he didn't wait for her to open her mouth or squeeze his hand or _leave_. Instead, he tangled his fingers with hers, the spaces fitting almost too perfectly, and brought her to him immediately._

_His lips found hers like they had been lost all along. It was powerful and kind and caught Bonnie off guard so much she could only stand there and receive it. No amount of witch-training could have prepared her for this. His hands snaked around her hips and up her back until they were cupping the sides of her face affectionately. _

_When his lips parted from hers, he wished she would let him kiss her forever. Bonnie Bennett was an ocean, and he was caught right in the riptide._

_He glanced down at her black drop-waist dress, along with her black Mary-Janes and the strands of black pearls dangling around her neck that matched._

_"I like your choice of attire," he whispered to her breathlessly._

She exhales deeply, understanding that whatever Damon showed up last night isn't the Damon that is here with her today. "Don't push me, Damon," she eases. It sounds too much like she's giving up on him.

He doesn't flinch._ "Watch me."_

"You _know_ I can pop the vessels in your head without a blink of an eye."

With a lick of his lips, he advances toward her slowly, step by step. "Bennett, I'd snap your neck before you even tried."

They glare at each other, and if looks could kill, they'd both be six feet under by now. Caroline knits her eyebrows together in disgust. _This must be some sick version of foreplay for them, _she thinks.

Stefan coughs, bringing the focus back to the issue at hand, once again. Damon and Bonnie, both equally reluctant, tear their stares away from each other.

"Bonnie, Damon makes a valid point. Rebekah isn't going to let us live this down." _Or live, period,_ he resists the urge to add_. _

She blows out a mouthful of air, knowing that she tried to take the easy way out, and the easy way out never works. Last night brought her to realize how much she misses feeling free, being young, having fun. She is a teenager that one day lost the opportunity to _be_ a teenager. Warily, she unclasps her bag and pulls out her grimoire.

"I have an idea," she announces.

* * *

><p>Elijah stares at the photograph of him and Niklaus from who knows when, a time that is literally ages ago that the memory escapes him. His brother was ruthless and bellicose. Carrying the temper that was shared within the family, he did murder better than all of them. Does it make him as bad as Klaus for having teamed up with the Salvatores and their crew?<p>

Niklaus's reign should have been over long before he reached Mystic Falls again, Elijah thinks, concentrating on the faded drawing, torn at the edges. They had put Elijah in charge of ripping out his brother's heart, yet he backed out the first time, and his blood donation was the least he could do.

He can debate himself about this all he wants. He knows he will carry this with him for the rest of his life. Crawling beneath that harsh exterior was a coward who couldn't bare his emotions or humanity.

* * *

><p>"No way, Judgey," Damon flat-out states. Bonnie's eyes narrow. "You can wave your little wand and drink your witch's brew and fry my ass, but there's no way in <em>hell<em> you're doing this."

Bonnie waves his protest aside; her decision is already set. The evening is nearing she's been stuck in this library for too long discussing Rebekah and spells and endangered lives with the supernatural beings, including one specific blue-eyed one that sucks all the air out of the room.

"You could never stop me, Damon, and now is not the exception."

_He has to give her points for that_. He fires shots, she fires them right back. When they stand across from each other, they stand on the same plane.

"You could die," he mutters lowly, and although only the vampires in the room can hear him well enough, Bonnie receives the message loud and clear.

_In Mystic Falls, you can step out to grab some coffee and be at risk of dying_.

"But if it means saving these innocent people, saving Jeremy, saving _Elena_—isn't it worth it?" Bonnie counters.

Damon tugs at the ends of his hair and flails himself around in wary directions. _"When are you going to stop putting your life on the line for people who would _never_ do the same for you?!" _he all but screams.

No one dares to interject. Bonnie sucks in a large breath because Damon is hitting a little too close to home right now, implying that Elena would never go to the same lengths for her, which may or may not be true_. _

Swallowing the lump that has formed in her throat, Bonnie keeps her face straight and hidden under a veil of emotional void.

"You wanted me to think five steps ahead? Well, Damon, this is ten."

His face contorts in frustration and perplexity. "This is, like, negative seven considering it involves you potentially _dying_."

"We both know I'm more than that. You better hope I'll survive," she snaps. She runs her nimble fingers over the faded pages of Emily's grimoire, catching the verse spelled in Latin that is her spell. "I've done this before. This time, Elijah won't be there to finish the job like he was supposed to with Klaus, but that won't be a problem. I just have to summon the power from the witches' burial ground."

At this point, he's trying to craft any excuse to convince her otherwise. "And what makes you so sure that they'll be willing?"

"I did virtually the worst thing a witch can do," she begins, connecting her eyes with Damon's. "I fell in love with a vampire, and they didn't punish me once."

Silence falls upon the room.

* * *

><p>Rebekah stands in the doorway of Elijah's bedroom, resting her figure on the tall frame. She studies her older brother dilligently as he tosses letter by unrecognizable letter into the plethora of auburn flames ablaze in his fireplace. His entire body is stiff, the aura faintly glowing with sadness. <em>Sadness for what though?<em>

He feels her presence lingering in the room. He makes no effort to pause what he is doing because if he doesn't rid himself of everything that relates back to Klaus, then he never will.

Suddenly she catches a sight of one of the pictures he holds in his shaky grip, depicting him and Klaus in what seems to be only 100 or so years ago. It is the same picture that was sitting in the living room, framed between glass, that Rebekah examined earlier. Elijah jerks his arm toward the stone fireplace. _Swish_. Into the body of flames the picture goes, to be razed until it is not a memory but ashes.

It dawns on her somberly.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

* * *

><p>Damon crosses over to the bar area to fix himself another drink after the Scooby gang discloses the "meeting" and head off into their separate ways. He watches them leave the library, all exasperated and fearful of what the next day, hell, the next <em>hour<em>, will bring. His mind is set on one thing and one thing only and that is Bonnie's words that still, after an approximate hour, has him caught him off guard.

Bonnie is a conscientious person, and a sagacious one at that. She's the type to analyze each and every situation thoroughly, inspecting it through a microscope and then some. Overall, she's not the type of person to leave sweeping comments and not _mean_ anything by it.

But it's probably not true.

When does Damon Salvatore every have his love be reciprocated?

_Cue the sip of bourbon_.

Damon sees Bonnie swinging her backpack over her shoulder, done for the day and most likely done _with_ the day. He wants to let her return to the comfort of her bedroom and kick back with a few episodes of _Friends_. He wants her to explain herself more, though.

Is it his spontaneous kiss that sparked a wire? _Or has she come to terms with something she may have known all along?_

He stands in his home, paralyzed for a minute, before setting his drink down and following her out the door. "Bonnie," he calls.

She jerks herself around, muttering a goodbye to Caroline. It occurs to him that he doesn't know where to start or what to say, but she does it for him.

"I'm doing the spell no matter what you say," she says without preamble.

An emotion flashes through the brightness of his eyes that Bonnie barely catches.

_And she's the only one I ever want to be really anything with_.

Damon heaves a sigh, pushing the lengths of his inky hair back from his forehead.

_I would die before anything ever touched her_.

Damon gulps, suddenly feeling like a spotlight has shined on him, yet the only person in the audience is Bonnie Bennett, with enough spirit and life to fill up the entire auditorium.

"What would I do if I lost you, Bonnie?" he whispers.

Suddenly the sharpness of her narrowed stare softens before her lips press into a thin line.

"If you're really that dependent then I think we have some bigger underlying issues that need to be addressed," she bites back harshly, despite the softness in her eyes. But this is Damon and Bonnie knows how Damon is, how Damon loves. Uncontrollably. Desperately. Self-destructively. The only person who has ever been able to control that and bring him into a state of moderation is herself.

"No underlying issues—just the main ones we've laid out on the table," he dismisses._ God, if we're Stelena,_ he thinks amusedly_._ "You can protect yourself better than anyone I know, Witch, but you can't ask me to not show any goddamn concern."

"Bonnie Bennett puts herself on the line for Elena...every _creature_ in Mystic Falls puts themselves on the line for Elena. Don't tell me you're surprised," she deadpans.

He scowls. Fuck Elena, fuck Bonnie's martyr ways, and _fuck the Mystic Falls dynamic_.

"There has to be another w—"

"But there isn't," she snaps. "It's me or everyone else."

"_And I choose you," _he exclaims, advancing closer to her_. _"I choose you and I would choose you, every single time."

"I need to do this. If not for Elena, then for the safety of this whole town! It's not just my home, Damon, it's yours. Your human memories derive from this small acre of land and these people trace back to the same people you knew one hundred years ago. You can't ask me not to channel the witches' energy to take down Rebekah because this means as much to _you_ as it does to me."

_In this lifetime, Bonnie is the only one I want_.

"I want you in my future," he informs her plainly and it's as if nothing has ever been so simple before.

_She's the only one I want for the rest of my lifetimes._

She nods her head slowly yet surely. "I'll be there. You're not losing me because of a spell."

They share a grin like there's a secret, knowing that it's true. It takes far more than magic to destroy Bonnie Bennett.

"Better not."

In silence they stand with Bonnie rocking back and forth on her heel. He knows he should let her head inside her car or hold the door for her or something, but it's the last thing he wants to do. A solid five minutes and they haven't shaken the ground to pieces yet. _This must be an accomplishment of some sort_.

"Bonnie." There's a pause. "Did you really mean what you said earlier?"

She feels the urge to play clueless and pretend to have no idea as to what he is pertaining to, but she knows exactly what he is talking about and should have known they would arrive on this topic at some point. With Damon being Damon, she had predicted that it would be later.

"Every bit of it," she confirms.

Then he breaks out into a smile. It's an honest, genuine smile, baring his teeth and creating crinkles by his shining eyes. Damon is beautiful, and he's even more beautiful when he really smiles.

"What I did...would've meant everything a year ago," he proceeds, recalling the first time he properly introduced himself to the slim brunette. The words pour out of his mouth slowly but surely because he can identify his feelings like the back of his hand. "Not anymore. Elena's not the idealized version of the love of my human life and more importantly, she's not you."

He inches closer to the girl he's grown to know as an ally, a teammate, a friend, and a partner. Bonnie Bennett who refused to dance with him at the '50s dance but danced with him without complaint last night.

"I do bad things, Bonnie, and you've never let me get away with a single one. So thank you. No apology is ever going to make up for what happened."

She gulps, recognizing the contriteness of his tone automatically. There's a ripple of thunder before the raindrops are evoked and falls onto their skin. A shiver runs through her body. She remembers running out of the Mystic Grill with Damon dragging her by the arm, demanding what she was doing with Matt. She remembers it all so vividly, as she should, and how with Damon, when it rains, it _pours_.

"Go. I don't want you to get sick," he murmurs.

"I don't mind," she shrugs.

"But I do."

"I never got to kiss you back last night," she mutters finally, crossing her arms becauseshe sounds like the seventeen year old she admits she is_. _

Rain mattes her overgrown bangs to her forehead and trickles down her caramel skin; it's almost enough to make him fall apart. Hell, he _knows_ it is.

"What are you going to do about it then, Bennett?" he challenges, still maintaining his serious tone.

In that moment, she wants to kiss him and make it as life-changing as it should be. Not once has she underestimated his magnetic pull on her. She knows she probably _shouldn't_, but she also knows she probably shouldn't do a lot of things and ends up doing them anyway. Everything she tried to fight is backing away, all the regret and hurt that tied her up is releasing its grip. The solution seems so simple now.

"Bonnie," he says quietly.

"Damon."

And then she's kissing him, no restraints. She grabs him by the collar of his Varvados jacket and places her other hand on his chest, crushing her lips onto his. Water cascades on them but Damon only feels the temperature of her body radiating heat, her skin buzzing with electricity, and ardency pulsating through her veins. The trace of alcohol on his mouth is ever present, but she knows he is in this moment as much as she is, absolutely consumed by each other.

It fails to make sense, in all the aspects of the word. He has continuously given her every reason and every right to run away, yet she's standing in the rain, lips and fingers entwined with his. And maybe, just maybe, it doesn't need to make sense.

She detaches herself from him, already missing their close proximity.

"You need to hear it this time; really hear it," he begins."No running away, no interruptions, just us." He meets her eyes. "I love you."

She sucks in a shaky breath, nodding. "I love you, too." She grabs his hand, placing it with hers right above her heart, the way he did with her. "You make it enigmatically hard for me not to love you."

He chuckles, feeling her racing heartbeat.

"I want us to move on from all of this—trust issues and jealousy and _Elena_," she says, freeing his hand from hers.

"Me too."

"I'm taking the biggest risk of my life by opening my heart up to you again."

"I know."

"Because the last time I did, you said you would never hurt me...and you did in a way I never fathomed to be imaginable."

"Then no promises this time," he proposes. "I'll give you my best; I hope that's enough."

"It is. Not once were you not enough for me."_ They both recognize the truth in that statement_. Bonnie pushes her damp curls back, thinking there goes an hour's worth of rigorous flat ironing down the drain. "Accompany me to the burial ground tomorrow. I mean, if I don't come down with a bad case of pneumonia."

He slips off his jacket and drapes it over her shoulders. Pops her car door open. Smiles a smile that reaches his eyes, once again.

"I wouldn't let you go without me, anyway."

* * *

><p>She feels herself quivering, her knees wobbling and not in the good way. What does this mean? How could this happen? The brother she loved and hated, both with equal measures, is gone. It can't be. She must resist crumbling into pieces. Somehow it doesn't seem true to her, though she knows it <em>is<em>.

"How dare you let this happen," she fumes, her voice an inaudible volume for those without enhanced hearing. "How _dare_ you?"

"Morally speaking, I had no choice," Elijah replies stoically.

"Don't tell me about morals when you sat back and _let_ those _children_ kill our brother!"

He falters, witnessing the brokenness of his dear sister. Rebekah has always been a sensitive one, but he may have foolishly underestimated the magnitude of her reaction.

"I agreed with their decision. They had every right to want to kill Niklaus; he caused them a great deal of trouble. The witch, Miss Bennett, needed my blood, and I gave it to her," he admits, remaining collected.

"The witch, the vampires, and the doppelgänger walk into a bar and ask you for your hand in killing Nik. _I'm waiting for the punchline_. Or maybe I will find it after I tear them all to shreds."

"Rebekah, I brought you back out of the kindness of my heart and my love for our family. Please control yourself. Do not make me regret this decision."

"_Love for our family?! _Is that what you felt when you helped those deceiving weaklings kill Niklaus? He was my brother, _our_ brother, Elijah."

He merely winces at her accusatory tone. "Niklaus was out to destroy this town and everyone in it," and of course this is what he has consistently been telling himself through the endless nights after his brother's death, for he is not nearly brave enough to admit he lusted after a second chance at killing Klaus, once and for all. "He knew his vendetta would be the source of his death."

She scowls. It sounds like the most pathetic excuse that has ever rang in her ears in her centuries of living.

"Nik wanted us together..._all_ of us. Family first, Elijah. Always and forever. At least he understood that," she whispers, unshed tears brimming at the bottom of her eyes. She holds them back and regains her composure. _"Bringing me back was a _mistake_ on your part."_

"Don't allow your vengeance toward me to impact your actions."

"If Nik is gone, so is Elena's purpose. The doppelgänger bitch you so dearly cherish will be dead the second I catch a whiff of her."

* * *

><p><em>"Dark eyes become divine<em>

_I need the love I crave_

_Your hands they burn like mine_

_I'll take you to my grave."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>So...what did we think? This chapter alternated purely between main characters and Bex/Elijah and it was slightly different that I felt completely out of my league. There was an abundance of Bamon moments there, starting from that flashback to Damon's overprotectiveness (although he was very aware that if anyone could pull off such a spell, it would be Bonnie), all leading up to the confrontation of a lifetime. Rebekah's return. Good or bad? I know her threatening Elena's existence isn't really a big deal considering the vast majority of us dislike Elena, but in the characters' world it's all about the Golden V.

Reviews are greatly appreciated! I love hearing your thoughts and predictions and frustrations. Plus, the comments give me that extra push of motivation, if ya feel me?

Thanks, Bamily -

Alexis.


End file.
